Joash’s Reign
1Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba.2Joash did what theLord approved throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.3Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.
4Joash was determined to repair theLord’s temple.5He 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.
6So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, “Why have you not made the Levites collect from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses theLord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?”7(Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of theLord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.)8The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of theLord’s temple.9An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to theLord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.10All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full.11Whenever 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.
12The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen assigned to theLord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair theLord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore theLord’s temple.13They worked hard and made the repairs. They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it.14When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for theLord’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 theLord’s temple.
15Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130.16He was buried in the City of David with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.
17After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. The king listened to their advice.18They abandoned the temple of theLord God of their ancestors, and worshiped the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem.19TheLord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. They warned the people, but they would not pay attention.20God’s Spirit energized 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 theLord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected theLord, he has rejected you!’”21They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of theLord’s temple.22King Joash disregarded the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s son. As Zechariah was dying, he said, “May theLord take notice and seek vengeance!”
23At the beginning of the year the Syrian army attacked Joash 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.24Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, theLord handed over to them Judah’s very large army, for the people of Judah had abandoned theLord God of their ancestors. The Syrians gave Joash what he deserved.25When they withdrew, they left Joash badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to the son of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.26The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).
27The list of Joash’s 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. His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
