2 Chronicles 24

24 ¹Joash became king at seven, and reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother Zibiah was from Beersheba. ²Joash did what was right in our Father's eyes all the days of Jehoiada the priest. ³Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and Joash had sons and daughters.

⁴Some time later, Joash set his heart on restoring the house of our Father. ⁵He gathered the priests and Levites, told them, "Go to Judah's cities, collect money from all Israel yearly to repair your Father's house—hurry." But the Levites didn't hurry. ⁶The king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest: "Why haven't you required the Levites to bring the tax from Judah and Jerusalem that Moses, our Father's servant, and the assembly set on Israel for the tent of testimony?" ^a a v6 The tent of the testimony was Israel's portable wilderness sanctuary, the Tabernacle. ⁷Athaliah's sons, that wicked woman, broke into our Father's house and even used all the holy things of our Father's house in worship of the Baals.

⁸At the king's order, they made a chest and set it outside our Father's house gate. ⁹They announced in Judah and Jerusalem: bring our Father the tax Moses, our Father's servant, set on Israel in the wilderness. ¹⁰All the officials and all the people rejoiced, bringing and dropping their gifts into the chest until full. ¹¹Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the king's officials and saw it full of money, the royal secretary and chief priest's officer emptied it and returned it to its place. Daily they collected much money. ¹²The king and Jehoiada gave it to workers on our Father's house, who hired masons and carpenters to restore it, and iron and bronze workers to repair our Father's house. ¹³Workers labored; repair progressed by their hands. They restored our Father's house to its form and strengthened it. ¹⁴When finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, making from it articles for our Father's house: vessels for service and burnt offerings, dishes, gold and silver vessels. They offered burnt offerings in our Father's house continually, all Jehoiada's lifetime.

¹⁵Jehoiada grew old and full of years, then died; at his death he was 130 years old. ¹⁶They buried him in the City of David among the kings, for doing good in Israel toward our Father and his house.

Joash Forsakes Our Father After Jehoiada Dies

¹⁷After Jehoiada died, Judah's officials came and bowed to the king, and he listened to them. ¹⁸They abandoned our Father's house, God of their ancestors, served Asherah poles and idols — so anger came on Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt. ¹⁹Yet our Father sent them prophets to bring them back to himself; they warned them, but they wouldn't listen.

²⁰Then the Spirit of our Father came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what our Father says: Why break his commands? You won't succeed — you abandoned him, so he abandons you."

²¹They conspired against him, stoning him in our Father's house courtyard at the king's command. ²²King Joash forgot the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him and killed his son. As Zechariah was dying he said, "May our Father see and require it."

Our Father's Judgment Falls on Faithless Joash

²³At the turn of the year Aram's army attacked Joash, invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killed all the people's officials, sent all their plunder to Damascus's king. ²⁴Though Aram's army came with few men, our Father gave a much larger army into their hand, since Judah abandoned our Father, the God of their ancestors. So judgment fell on Joash.

²⁵When the Arameans left, leaving him badly wounded, his servants conspired against him for the blood of Jehoiada the priest's son, killing him on his bed. He died and was buried in the City of David, not in the kings' tombs. ²⁶Conspirators against him: Zabad son of Shimeath, Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith, Moabite woman. ²⁷His sons, the many prophecies against him, and rebuilding our Father's house are written in the Book of the Kings' commentary; his son Amaziah reigned in his place.