2 Chronicles Chapter 24

Joash Repairs the Temple

¹ Joash was 7 when he became king and ruled for 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba. ² He did what was good all the time Jehoiada was alive. ³ Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

⁴ After that, Joash decided to restore Yahveh’s Temple. ⁵ He gathered the priests and Levites, and said, “Go out to the towns in Judah and collect money to repair your God’s Temple annually; do it right away.” But the Levites didn’t act right away. ⁶ He summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax Moses laid on Israel for the Tent of Testimony?” ⁷ The sons of Athaliah had broken into God’s Temple and used the holy things for the images of Baal. 2 Ch 24:1-7

⁸ The king had them make a chest to set outside by the gate into Yahveh’s Temple. ⁹ They made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to Yahveh the tax Moses had levied in the desert. ¹⁰ The officers and common people celebrated and brought in their levies and dropped them in the chest till they’d finished. ¹¹ Whenever the Levites saw there was a lot in the chest, they’d bring it to the king’s officer, and his secretary and the chief priest’s officer would empty it and take it back to its place. They did that daily and collected a lot of money. ¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to the ones that serviced the^Y Temple. They hired masons, carpenters, and artisans in iron and bronze to repair the Temple, ¹³ and the work progressed. They restored it to its specifications and reinforced it. ¹⁴ When they finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada. They made it into utensils for the^Y Temple, for its service, the burnt offering, gold and silver pans and utensils. They offered burnt offerings continually all the time Jehoiada was alive.                                                                     2 Ch 24:8-14           

¹⁵ Jehoiada died at the good old age of 130. ¹⁶ They buried him in The City of David among the kings because he’d done well in Israel for God and his Temple.

Jehoiadah’s Reforms Reversed

¹⁷ But after Jehoiada’s death, the officials of Judah came and bowed to the king, and he listened to them. ¹⁸ They abandoned the Temple of Yahveh God and worshiped Asherah poles and idols; so wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁹ He sent prophets to bring them back to him, but they wouldn’t listen. ²⁰ Then God’s Spirit came on Zechariah Ben-Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said, “God says, ‘Why do you sin against Yahveh’s commands and not prosper? Because you’ve left him, he’s left you.’” ²¹ They plotted against him, and at the king’s command stoned him to death in the^Y Temple court. ²² So Joash the king didn’t remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him; he murdered his son. As he died, he said, “May Yahveh see and repay you!”                                     2 Ch 24:15-22

The End of Joash’s Reig

²³ At the turn of the year, the Aramean army came up against him. They came to Judah and Jerusalem, killed the people’s officials, and sent their spoil to the king in Damascus. ²⁴ Though the Arameans came with a small army, Yahveh delivered a large army to them because they’d left him^Y. They carried out judgment on Joash.

²⁵ They left him seriously wounded. When they’d gone, his own officials plotted against him for murdering Jehoiada’s son. They assassinated him in his bed and buried him in The City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. ²⁶ The ones that plotted against him were Zabad Ben-Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad Ben-Shimrith the Moabitess. ²⁷ The Commentary on the Book of the Kings gives accounts about his sons, the many oracles against him, and the restoration of God’s Temple. His son Amaziah became king.     2 Ch 24:23-27