2 Chronicles 24 (NET)

Joash’s Reign

1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem.1 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 2 Joash did what the Lord approved2 throughout the lifetime3 of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.

4 Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple.4 5 He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.

6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest,5 and said to him, “Why have you not made6 the Levites collect7 from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?”8 7 (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) 8 The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple.9 9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.10 10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.

12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen11 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. 13 They worked hard and made the repairs.12 They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it.13 14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.

15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130.14 16 He was buried in the City of David15 with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.

17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him.16 The king listened to their advice.17 18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors,18 and worshiped19 the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him.20 They warned21 the people, but they would not pay attention. 20 God’s Spirit energized22 Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22 King Joash disregarded23 the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s24 son. As Zechariah25 was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!”26

23 At the beginning27 of the year the Syrian army attacked28 Joash29 and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army,30 for the people of Judah31 had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians32 gave Joash what he deserved.33 25 When they withdrew, they left Joash34 badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to35 the son36 of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus37 he died and was buried in the City of David,38 but not in the tombs of the kings. 26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).

27 The list of Joash’s39 sons, the many prophetic oracles pertaining to him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings.40 His son Amaziah replaced him as king.

1map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 2tn Heb “and Joash did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.” 3tn Heb “all the days of.” 4tn Heb “and it was, later, there was with the heart of Joash to repair the house of the Lord.” 5tn Heb “Jehoiada the head”; the word “priest” not in the Hebrew text but is implied. 6tn Heb “sought.” 7tn Heb “bring.” 8tn Heb “the tent of testimony.” 9tn Heb “and the king said [it] and they made a chest and placed it in the gate of the house of the Lord outside.” 10tn Heb “and they gave voice in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the tax of Moses the servant of God upon Israel in the wilderness.” 11tn Heb “doers of the work.” 12tn Heb “and the doers of the work worked, and the repairs went up for the work by their hand.” 13tn Heb “and they caused the house of God to stand according to its measurements and they strengthened it.” 14tn Heb “and Jehoiada grew old and was full of days and died; [he was] one hundred thirty years old when he died.” 15sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7. 16tn Heb “came and bowed down to the king.” 17tn Heb “to them.” 18tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 24). 19tn Heb “served.” 20tn Heb “and he sent among them prophets to bring them back to the Lord.” 21tn Heb “testified among.” 22tn Heb “clothed.” 23tn Heb “did not remember.” 24tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 25tn Heb “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 26tn Heb “and seek [ – ].” The direct object of “seek” is omitted in the Hebrew text but implied; “vengeance” is supplied for clarification. 27tn Heb “turning.” 28tn Heb “went up against.” 29tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 30tn Heb “though with a small amount of men the army of Aram came, the Lord gave into their hand an army [that was] very large.” 31tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 32tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 33tn Heb “executed judgments [on] Joash.” 34tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 35tn Heb “because of the shed blood of.” 36tc The MT has the plural בְּנֵי (bÿney, “sons”), but the final yod is dittographic. Note the yod that immediately follows. 37tn Heb “and he died.” 38sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7. 39tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 40tn Heb “And his sons and the abundance of the oracle[s] against him, and the founding of the house of God, look are they not written on the writing of the scroll of the kings?”