2 Chronicles 24

1 Joash was seven years old when he had begun to reign. And he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zibiah, from Beersheba.

Seven years old was Joash when he became king, and forty years did he reign in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Zibyah of Beer-sheba'.

2 And he did what is good before the Lord during all the days of Jehoiada, the priest.

And Joash did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, all the days of Yehoyada' the priest.

3 Now Jehoiada gave to him two wives, from whom he conceived sons and daughters.

And Yehoyada' took for himself two wives, and he begat sons and daughters.

4 After these things, it pleased Joash to repair the house of the Lord.

And it came to pass after this, that Yoash had it in his mind to renew the house of the Lord.

5 And he gathered together the priests and Levites, and he said to them: “Go out to the cities of Judah, and collect from all of Israel money to repair the surfaces of the temple of your God, throughout each year. And do this promptly.” But the Levites acted negligently.

And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and ye shall make haste in this matter. But the Levites made no haste.

6 And the king summoned Jehoiada, the leader, and he said to him: “Why was there no concern with you, so that you would compel the Levites to bring, from Judah and from Jerusalem, the money that was appointed by Moses, the servant of the Lord, so as to bring it, from the entire multitude of Israel, to the tabernacle of the testimony?

Then called the king for Yehoyada' the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required from the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the contribution [fixed by] Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of the testimony?

7 For that very impious woman Athaliah and her sons have destroyed the house of God, and they have adorned the shrine of Baal from all the things that had been sanctified in the temple of the Lord.”

For the sons of the wicked 'Athalyahu have made breaches [in] the house of God; and also the holy things of the house of the Lord have they applied to the Be'alim.

8 Therefore, the king instructed, and they made an ark. And they placed it beside the gate of the house of the Lord, on the outside.

And at the king's order they made a chest, and placed it at the gate of the house of the Lord on the outside.

9 And they proclaimed, in Judah and Jerusalem, that each one should bring to the Lord the money that Moses, the servant of God, appointed in the desert, concerning all of Israel.

And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the contribution [fixed by] Moses the servant of God upon Israel in the wilderness.

10 And all the leaders and all the people rejoiced. And upon entering, they together took and placed so much into the ark of the Lord that it was filled.

And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and they brought it in, and cast it into the chest, until it was full.

11 And when it was time for them to bring the ark before the king by the hands of the Levites, for they saw that there was much money, the scribe of the king, and the one whom the high priest had appointed, entered. And they poured out the money that was in the ark. Then they carried the ark back to its place. And they did this on each day. And an immense sum of money was gathered.

Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, then came the king's scribe and the high-priest's officer and emptied the chest, and took it up, and brought it back to its place. Thus did they day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who were in charge of the works of the house of the Lord. Then with it they hired hewers of stone, and artisans of every kind, so that they might repair the house of the Lord, and also so that the works of iron and of brass, which had begun to fall, would be reinforced.

And the king and Yehoyada' gave it to those who overlooked the service of the house of the Lord, and these hired masons and carpenters to renew the house of the Lord, and also to the workers in iron and copper to repair the house of the Lord.

13 And those who were hired were working industriously. And the breach in the walls was healed by their hands. And they returned the house of the Lord to a pristine state. And they caused it stand firm.

So the workmen wrought, and the work was restored through their means, and they replaced the house of God in its [former] state, and strengthened it.

14 And when they had completed all the works, they brought the remaining part of the money before the king and Jehoiada. And from it, the vessels of the temple were made, for the ministry and for the holocausts, including bowls and other vessels of gold and silver. And holocausts were being offered in the house of the Lord continually, during all the days of Jehoiada.

And when they had completed it, they brought before the king and Yehoyada' the rest of the money, and they made of it vessels for the house of the Lord, the vessels of the service and for the sacrificing, and the spoons, and [other] vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt-offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Yehoyada'.

15 But Jehoiada was old and full of days. And he died when he was one hundred thirty years old.

And Yehoyada' became old, and was full of days, and died: he was old one hundred and thirty years when he died.

16 And they buried him in the City of David, with the kings, because he had done good to Israel and to his house.

And they buried him in the city of David among the kings; because he had done a good thing in Israel, and toward God, and his house.

17 Then, after Jehoiada passed away, the leaders of Judah entered and reverenced the king. And he was enticed by their obsequiousness, and so he acquiesced to them.

But after the death of Yehoyada' came the princes of Judah, and bowed themselves down to the king. Then did the king hearken unto them.

18 And they abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and they served sacred groves and graven images. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of this sin.

And they forsook the house of the Lord the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and there came wrath over Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.

19 And he sent prophets to them, so that they might return to the Lord. And though they were offering testimony, they were not willing to listen to them.

And he sent prophets among them, to bring them back again unto the Lord; and they gave them warning; but they did not give ear.

20 And so the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest. And he stood in the sight of the people, and he said to them: “Thus says the Lord God: Why have you transgressed the precept of the Lord, though it was not to your benefit, and why have you abandoned the Lord, so that he would then abandon you?”

And the spirit of God endued Zechariah the son of Yehoyada' the priest, and he stood up above the people, and he said unto them, Thus hath said the [true] God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord? ye cannot prosper so; because [as] ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.

21 And gathering together against him, they stoned him, beside the place of the king, in the atrium of the house of the Lord.

And 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 And king Joash did not remember the mercy with which Jehoiada, his father, had treated him; instead he put to death his son. And as he was dying, he said: “May the Lord see and take account.”

And king Joash did not remember the kindness which Yehoyada' his father had shown to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord will see [this], and require [my blood].

23 And when a year had turned, the army of Syria ascended against him. And they went to Judah and Jerusalem. And they put to death all the leaders of the people. And they sent all the spoils to the king of Damascus.

And it came to pass at the expiration of the year, that the army of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and all their spoil they sent off unto the king of Damascus.

24 And although certainly there had arrived a very small number of Syrians, the Lord delivered into their hands an immense multitude. For they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Also, against Joash they executed disgraceful judgments.

Indeed with a small company of men did the army of Syria come; but the Lord delivered into their hand an army exceedingly numerous; because they had forsaken the Lord the God of their fathers. And on Joash they executed punishment.

25 And upon departing, they left him greatly debilitated. Then his servants rose up against him, in vengeance for the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest. And they killed him on his bed, and he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but not in the sepulchers of the kings.

And when these were gone away from him—for they left him [suffering] with great diseases—his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Yehoyada' the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.

26 Truly, those who ambushed him were Zabad, the son of an Ammonite woman named Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of a Moabite woman named Shimrith.

And these are those that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shim'ath the 'Ammonitess, and Yehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

27 But concerning his sons, and the sum of money that had been amassed under him, and the repairing of the house of God, these things have been written more diligently in the book of kings. Then his son, Amaziah, reigned in his place.

Now concerning his sons, and the great prophecy concerning him, and the founding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amazyahu his son became king in his stead.