1 Joash was seven when he became king, and he ruled forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba.
2 Joash did what was right in the LORD's eyes as long as Jehoiada the priest lived.
3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
4 Some time later Joash made up his mind to renew the house of the LORD.
5 He called the priests and Levites together and told them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel every year to repair the house of your God. Be quick about it." But the Levites were in no hurry.
6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and asked him, "Why have you not made the Levites bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the levy that Moses the LORD's servant and the assembly of Israel imposed for the tent of the testimony?"
7 For the sons of wicked Athaliah had broken into God's house and had even devoted all the holy things of the house of the LORD to the Baals.
8 At the king's order they made a chest and placed it outside the gate of the house of the LORD.
9 A proclamation went out through Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the levy that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness.
10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their money and dropped it into the chest until it was full.
11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the king's officials and they saw that it held a lot of money, the king's scribe and the chief priest's officer would come, empty the chest, and carry it back to its place. They did this day after day and gathered a great deal of money.
12 The king and Jehoiada handed it to those in charge of the work on the house of the LORD, who hired stonemasons and carpenters to renew the house of the LORD, as well as iron and bronze workers to repair it.
13 The workers did their work, and under their hands the repairs made progress. They restored God's house to its original condition and reinforced it.
14 When they were done, they brought the leftover money to the king and Jehoiada, and it was made into vessels for the house of the LORD: vessels for service and for offerings, ladles, and gold and silver vessels. Burnt offerings were offered regularly in the house of the LORD as long as Jehoiada lived.
15 Jehoiada grew old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.
16 They buried him with the kings in the City of David, because he had done good in Israel for God and his house.
17 After Jehoiada died, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before the king, and the king listened to them.
18 They abandoned the house of the LORD God of their fathers and served the Asherim and the idols. Because of this guilt, wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem.
19 Still he sent them prophets to bring them back to the LORD; they warned them, but the people would not pay attention.
20 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up above the people and told them, "This is what God says: 'Why are you breaking the LORD's commandments? You will not prosper. Because you have abandoned the LORD, he has abandoned you.'"
21 But they plotted against him, and at the king's order they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD.
22 King Joash did not remember the loyalty Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him; he killed his son. And as Zechariah died he said, "May the LORD see this and demand an account!"
23 At the turn of the year the Syrian army marched against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, wiped out all the leaders of the people, and sent all the plunder to the king of Damascus.
24 Though the Syrian army came with only a few men, the LORD handed over a very large army to them, because Judah had abandoned the LORD God of their fathers. So they carried out judgment on Joash.
25 When they withdrew, leaving him badly wounded, his servants plotted against him over the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the royal tombs.
26 Those who plotted against him were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonite woman and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabite woman.
27 His sons, the many oracles against him, and the rebuilding of God's house are recorded in the commentary on the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah became king after him.