2 Chronicles 24
24
Joash Repairs the Temple
1 # For ver. 1-14, see 2 Kgs. 11:21–12:15 Joash#24:1 Spelled Jehoash in 2 Kings 12:1 was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2#[ch. 26:5]And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3Jehoiada got for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.
4After this Joash #[1 Chr. 22:7] decided to #ver. 12restore the house of the Lord. 5And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of #See ch. 21:2Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 6So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem #See Ex. 30:12-16 the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel for #See Num. 17:7, 8the tent of testimony?” 7For #[ch. 21:17] the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all #[1 Kgs. 15:15]the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.
8So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord. 9And #[Ezra 1:1] proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord #[See ver. 6 above]the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.#24:10 Or until it was full 11And whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king’s secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and collected money in abundance. 12And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work 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 those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it. 14And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it #[2 Kgs. 12:13]were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada.
15But Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and died. He was 130 years old at his death. 16And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.
17Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18And they abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served #See Deut. 16:21 the Asherim and the idols. And #ch. 19:2, 10; 28:11, 13; 29:8; 32:25wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19#Jer. 25:4; [Matt. 23:34; Luke 11:49]; See ch. 36:15 Yet he sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord. #Neh. 13:15, 21These testified against them, but they would not pay attention.
Joash’s Treachery
20 # ch. 15:1; 20:14 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah #[Matt. 23:35] the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, #[Num. 14:41] ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? #ch. 15:2Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” 21But #[Neh. 9:26] they conspired against him, #Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see #[Gen. 9:5]and avenge!”#24:22 Or and require it
Joash Assassinated
23At the end of the year #[2 Kgs. 12:17, 18]the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, #Isa. 30:17; [Lev. 26:8, 36, 37] the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, #[See ver. 20 above] because Judah#24:24 Hebrew they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they #[ch. 22:8]executed judgment on Joash.
25When they had departed from him, leaving him #[Deut. 28:35] severely wounded, #For ver. 25-27, see 2 Kgs. 12:20, 21 his servants conspired against him because of the blood of #[ver. 21, 22] the son#24:25 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, #[ch. 21:20; 28:27]but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26Those who conspired against him were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonite, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabite. 27Accounts of his sons and of the many oracles against him and of #ver. 12 the rebuilding#24:27 Hebrew founding of the house of God are written in the #ch. 13:22Story#24:27 Or Exposition of the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
Currently Selected:
2 Chronicles 24: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
2 Chronicles 24
24
King Joash of Judah
(2 Kings 12.1-16)
1Joash was only 7 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 40 years from Jerusalem. His mother Zibiah was from the town of Beersheba.
2While Jehoiada the priest was alive, Joash obeyed the Lord by doing right. 3Jehoiada even chose two women for Joash to marry so he could have a family.
4Some time later, Joash decided it was time to repair the temple. 5He called together the priests and Levites and said, “Go everywhere in Judah and collect the annual tax from the people. I want this done at once—we need that money to repair the temple.”
But the Levites were in no hurry to follow the king's orders. 6#Ex 30.11-16. So he sent for Jehoiada the high priest and asked, “Why didn't you send the Levites to collect the taxes? The Lord's servant Moses and the people agreed long ago that this tax would be collected and used to pay for the upkeep of the sacred tent. 7And now we need it to repair the temple because the sons of that evil woman Athaliah came in and wrecked it. They even used some of the sacred objects to worship the god Baal.”
8Joash gave orders for a wooden box to be made and had it placed outside, near the gate of the temple. 9He then sent letters everywhere in Judah and Jerusalem, asking everyone to bring their taxes to the temple, just as Moses had required their ancestors to do.
10The people and their leaders agreed, and they brought their money to Jerusalem and placed it in the box. 11Each day, after the Levites took the box into the temple, the king's secretary and the high priest's assistant would dump out the money and count it. Then the empty box would be taken back outside.
This happened day after day, and soon a large amount of money was collected. 12Joash and Jehoiada turned the money over to the men who were supervising the repairs to the temple. They used the money to hire stonecutters, carpenters, and experts in working with iron and bronze.
13These workers went right to work repairing the temple, and when they were finished, it looked as good as new. 14They did not use all the tax money for the repairs, so the rest of it was handed over to Joash and Jehoiada, who then used it to make dishes and other gold and silver objects for the temple.
Sacrifices to please the Lord#24.14 Sacrifices to please the Lord: See the note at 1.6. were offered regularly in the temple for as long as Jehoiada lived. 15He died at the ripe old age of 130 years, 16and he was buried in the royal tombs in Jerusalem, because he had done so much good for the people of Israel, for God, and for the temple.
Joash Turns Away from the Lord
17After the death of Jehoiada the priest, the leaders of Judah went to Joash and talked him into doing what they wanted. 18The people of Judah soon stopped worshiping in the temple of the Lord God and started worshiping idols and the symbols of the goddess Asherah. These sinful things made the Lord God angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, 19but he still sent prophets who warned them to turn back to him. The people refused to listen.
20 #
Mt 23.35; Lk 11.51. God's Spirit spoke to Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and Zechariah told everyone that God was saying: “Why are you disobeying me and my laws? This will only bring punishment! You have deserted me, so now I will desert you.”
21-22King Joash forgot that Zechariah's father had always been a loyal friend. So when the people of Judah plotted to kill Zechariah, Joash joined them and gave orders for them to stone him to death in the courtyard of the temple. As Zechariah was dying, he said, “I pray that the Lord will see this and punish all of you.”
Joash Is Killed
23In the spring of the following year, the Syrian army invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killing all of the nation's leaders. They collected everything of value that belonged to the people and took it back to their king in Damascus. 24The Syrian army was very small, but the Lord let them defeat Judah's large army, because he was punishing Joash and the people of Judah for turning away from him.
25-26Joash was severely wounded during the battle, and as soon as the Syrians left Judah, two of his officials, Zabad and Jehozabad,#24.25,26 Zabad and Jehozabad: Hebrew “Zabad son of Shimeath from Ammon and Jehozabad son of Shimrith from Moab.” decided to revenge the death of Zechariah. They plotted and killed Joash while he was in bed, recovering from his wounds. Joash was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs. 27The History of the Kings also tells more about the sons of Joash, what the prophets said about him, and how he repaired the temple. Amaziah son of Joash became king after his father's death.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.