1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

3 And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he begot sons and daughters.

4 Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart to repair the house of Jehovah.

5 And he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you do it quickly. However the Levites did not do it quickly.

6 So the king called Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the offering of Moses the servant of Jehovah and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of witness?

7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also offered all the consecrated things of the house of Jehovah to the Baals.

8 So at the king’s command they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of Jehovah.

9 And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to Jehovah the offering that Moses the servant of God had laid upon Israel in the wilderness.

10 And all the rulers and all the people rejoiced, brought and threw into the chest until they were all finished.

11 So it was, at that time, when the chest was brought to the king’s official by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, that the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and returned it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah; and they hired masons and craftsmen to repair the house of Jehovah, and also craftsmen in iron and bronze to restore the house of Jehovah.

13 So the workmen labored, and the work of restoration excelled in their hands; they built up the house of God to its proper measure and strengthened it.

14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; they made from it vessels for the house of Jehovah, utensils for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of Jehovah continually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 And Jehoiada grew old and satisfied with days, and died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death.

16 And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house.

17 And after the death of Jehoiada the rulers of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king gave heed to them.

18 And they forsook the house of Jehovah the God of their fathers, and served the groves and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass.

19 And He sent prophets to them, to bring them back to Jehovah; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

20 And the Spirit of God clothed 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 Jehovah, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken Jehovah, He also has forsaken you.

21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of Jehovah.

22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, May Jehovah take notice, and require it!

23 So it happened at the turning of the year that 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 their spoils to the king of Damascus.

24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; but Jehovah delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken Jehovah the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment against Joash.

25 And when they had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died. And 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 the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

27 Now concerning his sons, and the great many tributes to him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the midrash of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his place.