^aJoash 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 ^aJoash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he fathered sons and daughters.

4 Now it came about after this that Joash ¹decided ^ato restore the house of the LORD. 5 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 annually, and you shall ²do the work quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 6 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 ¹contribution of Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the congregation of Israel, ^bfor the tent of the testimony?” 7 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.

8 So the king commanded, and ^athey made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the LORD. 9 ^aAnd they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD ^bthe ¹contribution commanded by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officers and all the people rejoiced, and they brought in their contribution and ¹dropped it into the chest until they had finished. 11 It happened that whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officer by the Levites, and ^athey 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. 12 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 repair the house of the LORD. 13 So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they ¹restored the house of God according to its ²specifications and strengthened it. 14 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 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.

15 Now Jehoiada ¹reached a good old age and he died; he was 130 years old at his death. 16 And they buried him ^ain the city of David with the kings, because he had done well in ^bIsrael and ¹for God and His house.

17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 And 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 guilt of theirs. 19 Yet ^aHe sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

20 ^aThen the Spirit of God ¹covered 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, ‘^bWhy do you break the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? ^cBecause you have abandoned the LORD, He has also abandoned you.’” 21 So ^athey conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him ¹to death in the courtyard of the house of the LORD. 22 So 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 ^athe LORD see and ¹avenge!”

23 Now it happened at the turn of the year that ^athe 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. 24 Indeed, the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet ^athe LORD handed a very great army over to them, ^bbecause ¹Judah and Joash had abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

25 ^aWhen they left 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 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. 26 Now these are the men who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons and the many pronouncements against him and ^athe ¹rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the ^2btreatise of the Book of the Kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.

^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. 2 ^aJoash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

4 Now it came about after this that Joash ¹decided ^ato restore the house of the LORD. 5 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. 6 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?” 7 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.

8 So the king commanded, and ^athey made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the LORD. 9 ^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. 10 All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought in their levies and ¹dropped them into the chest until they had finished. 11 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. 12 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. 13 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. 14 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.

15 Now when Jehoiada ¹reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. 16 They buried him ^ain the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in ^bIsrael and ¹to God and His house.

17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 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. 19 Yet ^aHe sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen.

20 ^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.’” 21 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. 22 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!”

23 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. 24 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.

25 ^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. 26 Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons and the many ¹oracles against him and ^athe ²rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the ^3btreatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.