Young Joash Influenced by Jehoiada

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

Faithless Priests

4Now it came about after this that Joash [a]decided to restore the house of the LORD. 5He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to [b]repair the house of your God annually, and you shall [c]do the work quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 6So 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 the [d]contribution of Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the congregation of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?” 7For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God, and even [e]used the holy things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

Temple Repaired

8So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the LORD. 9And they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the [f]contribution commanded by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10All the officers and all the people rejoiced, and they brought in their contribution and [g]dropped it into the chest until they had finished. 11It happened that whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officer by the Levites, and they saw that the money was substantial, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come and empty the chest, and pick it up and return it to its place. They did this daily and collected a large amount of money. 12The 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 repair the house of the LORD. 13So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they [h]restored the house of God according to its [i]specifications and strengthened it. 14When 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 offerings, 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.

15Now Jehoiada [j]reached a good old age and he died; he was 130 years old at his death. 16And they buried him in the city of David with the kings, because he had done well in Israel and [k]for God and His house.

17But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18And they abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the [l]Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

Joash Murders Son of Jehoiada

20Then the Spirit of God [m]covered Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest like clothing; and he stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God has said, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the LORD, He has also abandoned you.’” 21So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him [n]to death in the courtyard of the house of the LORD. 22So Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as Zechariah died he said, “May the LORD see and [o]avenge!”

Aram Invades and Defeats Judah

23Now it happened at the turn of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against Joash; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoils to the king of Damascus. 24Indeed, the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the LORD handed a very great army over to them, because [p]Judah and Joash had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

25When they left him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the [q]son of Jehoiada the priest, and they 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. 26Now these are the men who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27As to his sons and the many pronouncements against him and the [r]rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the [s]treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.