2Ch 24 | NASB1995 | STEP | Joash was seven years old when he became king , and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem ; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba .

2 Chronicles 24

Young Joash Influenced by Jehoiada

1 ^aJoash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. 2 ^bJoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

Faithless Priests

4 Now it came about after this that Joash ^{▼▼ Lit was with a heart}decided ^dto restore the house of the Lord. 5 He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all ^eIsrael to ^{▼▼ Lit to strengthen}repair the house of your God ^{▼▼ Lit from year to year}annually, and you shall do the matter quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem ^hthe levy fixed by Moses the servant of the Lord on the congregation of Israel ⁱfor the tent of the testimony?” 7 For ^jthe sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even ^{▼▼ Lit made}used the holy things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

Temple Repaired

8 So the king commanded, and ^lthey made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 ^mThey made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord ⁿthe levy fixed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought in their levies and ^{▼▼ Lit threw}dropped them into the chest until they had finished. 11 It came about whenever the chest was brought in to the king’s officer by the Levites, and when ^pthey saw that there was much money, then the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come, empty the chest, take it, and return it to its place. Thus they did daily and collected much money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who 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 workers in iron and bronze to ^{▼▼ Lit to strengthen}repair the house of the Lord. 13 So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they ^{▼▼ Lit set up}restored the house of God ^{▼▼ Lit upon its proportion}according to its specifications and strengthened it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and the burnt offering, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 Now when Jehoiada ^{▼▼ Lit became old and satisfied with days}reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. 16 They buried him ^uin the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in ^vIsrael and ^{▼▼ Lit with}to God and His house.

17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 They abandoned ^xthe house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and ^yserved the ^{▼▼ I.e. wooden symbols of a female deity}Asherim and the idols; so ^aawrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. 19 Yet ^abHe sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; though they testified against them, they would not listen.

Joash Murders Son of Jehoiada

20 ^acThen the Spirit of God ^{▼▼ Lit clothed}came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘ ^aeWhy do you transgress the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? ^afBecause you have forsaken the Lord, He has also forsaken you.’” 21 So ^agthey conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him ^{▼▼ Lit with stones}to death in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May ^aithe Lord see and ^{▼▼ Lit seek, or require}avenge!”

Aram Invades and Defeats Judah

23 Now it happened at the turn of the year that ^akthe army of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24 Indeed the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet ^althe Lord delivered a very great army into their hands, ^ambecause they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

25 ^anWhen they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the ^{▼▼ So some ancient versions; Heb sons}son of Jehoiada the priest, and murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons and the many ^{▼▼ Or burdens upon}oracles against him and ^aqthe ^{▼▼ Lit founding}rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the ^{▼▼ Heb midrash
,} ^attreatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.