 1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. And he reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Joash did the right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he fathered sons and daughters 4 After this, it had been in the mind of Joash to repair the house of the Lord. 5 He gathered together the priests and the Levites and said to them, Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather silver from all Israel to repair the house of your God from year to year. And see that you hasten the matter. And the Levites did not hasten it. 6 The king called for Jehoiada and said to him, Why have you not made the Levites bring in the collection out of Judah and out of Jerusalem, according to Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness? 7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, have broken up the house of God. And also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord they have given to Baals. 8 The king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 They gave a call in Judah and in Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the rulers and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and threw into the chests until it was finished. 11 At the time the chest was brought into the king's office by the Levites, and when they saw that the silver was abundant, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and carried it to its place again. So they did day by day, and gathered a great amount of silver. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the Lord. They hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord and also artisans in iron and bronze to mend the house of the Lord. 13 The workmen worked and the work was completed by them and they set the house of God in its proper state and made it strong. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the silver before the king and Jehoiada. From this silver they made vessels for the house of the Lord, vessels to minister and to offer, and spoons and vessels of gold and silver. They continually offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada. 15 But Jehoiada became old and was full of days when he died. He was 130 years old when he died. 16 They buried him in the city of David among the kings because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward His house. 17 After the death of Jehoiada the rulers of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them. 18 They left the house of the Lord God of their fathers and served Asherahs and idols. So wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. 19 Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord and they testified against them. But they would not listen. 20 The Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest who stood above the people and said to them, Thus says God, Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord so that you cannot be blessed? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has also forsaken you. 21 They conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord will seek you out. 23 At the end of the year, the army of Syria came up against him and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the rulers of the people from among the people and sent all the plunder to the king of Damascus. 24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men and the Lord delivered a very great army to them because they had forsaken the God of the fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash. 25 When they had departed from him, they left him in great diseases. His own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest and killed him on his bed and he died. They buried him in the city of David but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 These are the ones who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath of Ammon and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons and the greatness of the burdens on him and the repairing of the house of God, behold. All is written in the story of the book of the kings. Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
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