2 Chronicles 24

Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada obtained two wives for him, and Joash fathered sons and daughters. After this, Joash had it in his heart to 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 Israel to repair the house of your God year after year. See that you do it quickly.” But the Levites did not hurry. The king called Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the levy of Moses, the servant of the LORD, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the Testimony?” For the sons of wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD for the Baals. At the king's command they made a chest and placed it outside at the gate of the house of the LORD. They proclaimed throughout Judah and Jerusalem that the people should bring to the LORD the levy Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness. All the leaders and all the people rejoiced. They brought their contributions and put them in the chest until they had finished. Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the king's officials and they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the chief priest's officer came, emptied the chest, and carried it back to its place. They did this day after day and collected money in abundance. The king and Jehoiada gave it to those in charge of the work on the house of the LORD. They hired stonemasons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. The workers labored, and the restoration progressed through their hands. They restored the house of God to its proper design and strengthened it. When they finished, they brought the remaining money before the king and Jehoiada. It was made into utensils for the house of the LORD: utensils for service and for offerings, ladles, and objects of gold and silver. Burnt offerings were offered continually in the house of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada. Jehoiada grew old and died full of days. He was a hundred and thirty years old when he died. They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, toward God and his house. After Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. Wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of this guilt of theirs. God sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD. They testified against them, but the people would not listen. The Spirit of God clothed himself with Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD? You will not prosper. Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.’” They conspired against him and stoned him at the king's command in the court of the house of the LORD. King Joash did not remember the kindness Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed Jehoiada's son. As he died, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see and call to account!” At the turn of the year, the army of Aram came up against Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the leaders from among the people, and sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus. Though the army of Aram came with few men, the LORD gave a very great army into their hands, because the people had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash. When they withdrew, leaving him gravely ill, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest. They killed him on his bed, and he died. They buried him in the City of David, but did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. These were the men who conspired against him: Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabite woman. As for his sons, the many oracles against him, and the restoration of the house of God, they are written in the account of the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah reigned in his place.

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