New American Standard Bible 2020

2 Chronicles 24

Young Joash Influenced by Jehoiada

1 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. 2 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 3decided 4to 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 5Israel to 6repair the house of your God annually, and you shall 7do 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 8the 9contribution of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel, 10for the tent of the testimony?” 7For 11the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God, and even 12used the holy things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

Temple Repaired

8So the king commanded, and 13they made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 14And they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord 15the 16contribution 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 17dropped 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 18they 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 19restored the house of God according to its 20specifications 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 21reached a good old age and he died; he was 130 years old at his death. 16And they buried him 22in the city of David with the kings, because he had done well in 23Israel and 24for 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 25the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and 26served the 27Asherim and the idols; so 28wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19Yet 29He 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

20 30Then the Spirit of God 31covered 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, ‘32Why do you break the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? 33Because you have abandoned the Lord, He has also abandoned you.’” 21So 34they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him 35to 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 36the Lord see and 37avenge!”

Aram Invades and Defeats Judah

23Now it happened at the turn of the year that 38the 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 39the Lord handed a very great army over to them, 40because 41Judah and Joash had abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

25 42When they left him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the 43son 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 44the 45rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the 46 47treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.

Notes

1. 2 Chronicles 24:1 2 Kin 11:21; 12:1-15 ↩
2. 2 Chronicles 24:2 2 Chr 26:4, 5 ↩
3. 2 Chronicles 24:4 Lit was with a heart ↩
4. 2 Chronicles 24:4 2 Chr 24:7 ↩
5. 2 Chronicles 24:5 2 Chr 21:2 ↩
6. 2 Chronicles 24:5 Lit strengthen ↩
7. 2 Chronicles 24:5 Lit hasten to the thing ↩
8. 2 Chronicles 24:6 Ex 30:12-16 ↩
9. 2 Chronicles 24:6 Or mandatory offering ↩
10. 2 Chronicles 24:6 Num 1:50 ↩
11. 2 Chronicles 24:7 2 Chr 21:17 ↩
12. 2 Chronicles 24:7 Lit made ↩
13. 2 Chronicles 24:8 2 Kin 12:9 ↩
14. 2 Chronicles 24:9 2 Chr 36:22 ↩
15. 2 Chronicles 24:9 2 Chr 24:6 ↩
16. 2 Chronicles 24:9 Or mandatory offering ↩
17. 2 Chronicles 24:10 Lit threw ↩
18. 2 Chronicles 24:11 2 Kin 12:10 ↩
19. 2 Chronicles 24:13 Lit set up ↩
20. 2 Chronicles 24:13 Lit measurement ↩
21. 2 Chronicles 24:15 Lit became old and satisfied with days ↩
22. 2 Chronicles 24:16 2 Chr 21:20 ↩
23. 2 Chronicles 24:16 2 Chr 21:2 ↩
24. 2 Chronicles 24:16 Lit with ↩
25. 2 Chronicles 24:18 2 Chr 24:4 ↩
26. 2 Chronicles 24:18 Ex 34:12-14 ↩
27. 2 Chronicles 24:18 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah) ↩
28. 2 Chronicles 24:18 Josh 22:20 ↩
29. 2 Chronicles 24:19 Jer 7:25 ↩
30. 2 Chronicles 24:20 2 Chr 20:14 ↩
31. 2 Chronicles 24:20 Lit clothed ↩
32. 2 Chronicles 24:20 Num 14:41 ↩
33. 2 Chronicles 24:20 2 Chr 15:2 ↩
34. 2 Chronicles 24:21 Neh 9:26; Matt 23:34, 35 ↩
35. 2 Chronicles 24:21 Lit with stones ↩
36. 2 Chronicles 24:22 Gen 9:5 ↩
37. 2 Chronicles 24:22 Lit seek; or require ↩
38. 2 Chronicles 24:23 2 Kin 12:17 ↩
39. 2 Chronicles 24:24 2 Chr 16:7, 8 ↩
40. 2 Chronicles 24:24 2 Chr 24:20 ↩
41. 2 Chronicles 24:24 Lit they ↩
42. 2 Chronicles 24:25 2 Kin 12:20, 21 ↩
43. 2 Chronicles 24:25 As in some ancient versions; MT sons ↩
44. 2 Chronicles 24:27 2 Chr 24:12 ↩
45. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Lit founding ↩
46. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Heb midrash ↩
47. 2 Chronicles 24:27 2 Chr 13:22 ↩