2 Chronicles 24
1Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zibiah, of Beersheba. 2Joash did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he became the father of sons and daughters. 4It happened after this, that Joash intended to restore the house of the LORD. 5He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to year. See that you expedite this matter.” However the Levites didn’t do it right away. 6The king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, “Why haven’t you required of the Levites to bring in the tax of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the assembly of Israel, out of Judah and out of Jerusalem, for the tent of the testimony?” 7For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and they also gave all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD to the Baals. 8So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the LORD. 9They made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for the LORD the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end. 11It was so, that whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. 12The king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also such as worked iron and brass to repair the house of the LORD. 13So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands, and they set up the house of God in its state, and strengthened it. 14When they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, of which were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada. 15But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; one hundred thirty years old was he when he died. 16They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house. 17Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18They forsook the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness. 19Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. 20The Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you disobey the commandments of the LORD, so that you can’t prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has also forsaken you.’” 21They conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. 22Thus Joash the king didn’t remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, “May the LORD look at it, and repay it.” 23It happened at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and the LORD delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash. 25When they were departed for him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but they didn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26These are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid on him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
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