24Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba.H3101H7651H8141H1121H4427H4427H705H8141H3389H517H8034H6645H8842Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.H3101H6213H3477H5869H3068H3117H3077H35483Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and he had sons and daughters.H3077H5375H8147H802H3205H1121H13234At one point Joash decided to repair and restore the Temple of the LORD.H310H3101H3820H2318H1004H30685He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them these instructions: "Go to all the towns of Judah and collect the required annual offerings, so that we can repair the Temple of your God. Do not delay!" But the Levites did not act immediately.H6908H3548H3881H559H3318H5892H3063H6908H3478H3701H2388H1004H430H1767H8141H8141H4116H1697H3881H41166So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and asked him, "Why haven't you demanded that the Levites go out and collect the Temple taxes from the towns of Judah and from Jerusalem? Moses, the servant of the LORD, levied this tax on the community of Israel in order to maintain the Tabernacle of the Covenant."H4428H7121H3077H7218H559H1875H3881H935H3063H3389H4864H4872H5650H3068H6951H3478H168H57157Over the years the followers of wicked Athaliah had broken into the Temple of God, and they had used all the dedicated things from the Temple of the LORD to worship the images of Baal.H1121H6271H4849H6555H1004H430H6944H1004H3068H6213H11688So now the king ordered a chest to be made and set outside the gate leading to the Temple of the LORD.H4428H559H6213H259H727H5414H2351H8179H1004H30689Then a proclamation was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem, telling the people to bring to the LORD the tax that Moses, the servant of God, had required of the Israelites in the wilderness.H5414H6963H3063H3389H935H3068H4864H4872H5650H430H3478H405710This pleased all the leaders and the people, and they gladly brought their money and filled the chest with it.H8269H5971H8055H935H7993H727H361511Whenever the chest became full, the Levites would carry it to the king's officials. Then the court secretary and an officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and take it back to the Temple again. This went on day after day, and a large amount of money was collected.H6256H727H935H4428H6486H3027H3881H7200H7227H3701H4428H5608H7218H3548H6496H935H6168H727H5375H7725H4725H7725H6213H3117H3117H622H3701H723012The king and Jehoiada gave the money to the construction supervisors, who hired masons and carpenters to restore the Temple of the LORD. They also hired metalworkers, who made articles of iron and bronze for the LORD's Temple.H4428H3077H5414H6213H4399H5656H1004H3068H7936H2672H2796H2318H1004H3068H2796H1270H5178H2388H1004H306813The men in charge of the renovation worked hard and made steady progress. They restored the Temple of God according to its original design and strengthened it.H4399H6213H6213H4399H5927H724H3027H5975H1004H430H4971H55314When all the repairs were finished, they brought the remaining money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to make various articles for the Temple of the LORD—articles for worship services and for burnt offerings, including ladles and other articles made of gold and silver. And the burnt offerings were sacrificed continually in the Temple of the LORD during the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.H3615H935H7605H3701H6440H4428H3077H6213H3627H1004H3068H3627H8335H5927H3709H3627H2091H3701H5927H5930H1004H3068H8548H3117H307715Jehoiada lived to a very old age, finally dying at 130.H3077H2204H7646H3117H4191H3967H7970H8141H1121H419416He was buried among the kings in the City of David, because he had done so much good in Israel for God and his Temple.H6912H5892H1732H4428H6213H2896H3478H430H1004
Jehoiada’s Reforms Reversed
17But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice.H310H4194H3077H935H8269H3063H7812H4428H4428H808518They decided to abandon the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem.H5800H1004H3068H430H1H5647H842H6091H7110H3063H3389H81919Yet the LORD sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen.H7971H5030H7725H3068H5749H23820Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD's commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!"H7307H430H3847H2148H1121H3077H3548H5975H5971H559H559H430H5674H4687H3068H6743H5800H3068H580021Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple.H7194H7275H68H4687H4428H2691H1004H306822That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his loyalty—by killing his son. Zechariah's last words as he died were, "May the LORD see what they are doing and avenge my death!"H3101H4428H2142H2617H3077H1H6213H2026H1121H4194H559H3068H7200H1875
The End of Joash’s Reign
23In the spring of the year the Aramean army marched against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the nation. Then they sent all the plunder back to their king in Damascus.H8622H8141H2428H758H5927H935H3063H3389H7843H8269H5971H5971H7971H7998H4428H183424Although the Arameans attacked with only a small army, the LORD helped them conquer the much larger army of Judah. The people of Judah had abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, so judgment was carried out against Joash.H2428H758H935H4705H582H3068H5414H3966H7230H2428H3027H5800H3068H430H1H6213H8201H310125The Arameans withdrew, leaving Joash severely wounded. But his own officials plotted to kill him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest. They assassinated him as he lay in bed. Then he was buried in the City of David, but not in the royal cemetery.H3212H5800H7227H4251H5650H7194H1818H1121H3077H3548H2026H4296H4191H6912H5892H1732H6912H6913H442826The assassins were Jozacar, the son of an Ammonite woman named Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of a Moabite woman named Shomer.H7194H2066H1121H8100H5985H3075H1121H8116H412527The account of the sons of Joash, the prophecies about him, and the record of his restoration of the Temple of God are written in The Commentary on the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah became the next king.H1121H7235H7230H4853H3247H1004H430H3789H4097H5612H4428H558H1121H4427
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