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
.
aJoash did
what was right
in the sight
of the LORD
all
the days
of Jehoiada
the priest
.
Jehoiada took
two
wives
for him, and he became
the father
of sons
and daughters
.
Now it came about after
this
that Joash
1decided
ato restore
the house
of the LORD
.
He gathered the priests
and Levites
and said
to them, "Go
out to the cities
of Judah
and collect
money
from all
aIsrael
to 1repair
the house
of your God
2annually
, and you shall do
the matter
quickly
." But the Levites
did not act
quickly
.
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
athe levy
fixed by Moses
the servant
of the LORD
on the congregation
of Israel
bfor the tent
of the testimony
?"
For athe sons of the wicked
Athaliah
had broken
into the house
of God
and even
1used
the holy
things
of the house
of the LORD
for the Baals
.
So the king commanded
, and athey made
a chest
and set
it outside
by the gate
of the house
of the LORD
.
aThey made a proclamation
in Judah
and Jerusalem
to bring
to the LORD
bthe levy
fixed by Moses
the servant
of God
on Israel
in the wilderness
.
All the officers
and all
the people
rejoiced
and brought
in their levies and 1dropped
them into the chest
until
they had finished
.
It came about whenever
the chest
was brought
in to the king's
officer
by the Levites
, and when athey 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
.
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 1repair
the house
of the LORD
.
So the workmen labored
, and the repair
work
progressed
in their hands
, and they 1restored
the house
of God
2according
to its specifications
and strengthened
it.
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
.
Now when Jehoiada 1reached
a ripe
old
age
he died
; he was one hundred
and thirty
years
old
at his death
.
They buried him ain the city
of David
among
the kings
, because
he had done
well
in bIsrael
and 1to God
and His house
.
But after the death
of Jehoiada
the officials
of Judah
came
and bowed
down
to the king
, and the king
listened
to them.
They abandoned athe house
of the LORD
, the God
of their fathers
, and bserved
the 1Asherim
and the idols
; so cwrath
came
upon Judah
and Jerusalem
for this
their guilt
.
Yet aHe sent prophets
to them to bring
them back
to the LORD
; though they testified
against them, they would not listen
.
aThen the Spirit of God
1came
on Zechariah
the son
of Jehoiada
the priest
; and he stood
above
the people
and said
to them, "Thus
God
has said
, ` bWhy
do you transgress
the commandments
of the LORD
and do not prosper
? cBecause
you have forsaken
the LORD
, He has also forsaken
you.' "
So athey conspired against
him and at the command
of the king
they stoned
him 1to death
in the court
of the house
of the LORD
.
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 athe LORD
see
and 1avenge
!"
Now it happened at the turn
of the year
that athe 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
.
Indeed the army
of the Arameans
came
with a small
number of men
; yet athe LORD
delivered
a very
great
army
into their hands
, bbecause
they had forsaken
the LORD
, the God
of their fathers
. Thus they executed
judgment
on Joash
.
aWhen they had departed from him (for they left
him very
sick
), his own servants
conspired
against
him because of the blood
of the 1son
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
.
Now these are those who conspired
against
him: Zabad
the son
of Shimeath
the Ammonitess
, and Jehozabad
the son
of Shimrith
the Moabitess
.
As to his sons and the many
1oracles
against
him and athe 2rebuilding
of the house
of God
, behold
, they are written
in the 3 btreatise
of the Book
of the Kings
. Then Amaziah
his son
became
king
in his place
.