Joash reigneth well all the days of Jehoiada.

1 ¶ Joashº [was] sevenº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and he reignedºª fortyº yearsº in Jerusalem.º His mother'sº nameº also [was] Zibiahº of Beersheba.º² 2 And Joash¹² didºª [that which was] rightº in the sightº of the LORDº all² the daysº of Jehoiadaº the priest.º 3 And Jehoiadaº tookºª for him twoº wives;º and he begatºª sonsº and daughters.º

He giveth order for the repair of the Temple.

4 ¶ And it came to pass² afterº this,² [that] Joashº was² mindedº² to repairºª² the houseº of the LORD.º 5 And he gathered togetherºª² the priestsº and the Levites,º and saidºª to them, Go outºª unto the citiesº of Judah,º and gatherºª of all²² Israelº moneyº to repairºª² the houseº of your Godº fromº² yearº to year,º and see that ye² hastenºª the matter.º Howbeit the Levitesº hastenedºª [it] not.² 6 And the kingº calledºª for Jehoiadaº the chief,º and saidºª unto him, Why² hast thou not² requiredºª of² the Levitesº to bring inºª out of Judahº² and out of Jerusalemº²² the collection,º [according to the commandment] of Mosesº the servantº of the LORD,º and of the congregationº of Israel,º for the tabernacleº of witness?º 7 For² the sonsº of Athaliah,º that wicked¹ woman,² had broken upºª² the houseº of God;º and also² all² the dedicated thingsº of the houseº of the LORDº did they bestowºª upon Baalim.º 8 And at the king'sº commandmentºª they madeºª aº chest,º and setºª it withoutº at the gateº of the houseº of the LORD.º 9 And they madeºª a proclamationº through Judahº and Jerusalem,º to bring inºª to the LORDº the collectionº [that] Mosesº the servantº of Godº [laid] upon² Israelº in the wilderness.º 10 And all² the princesº and all² the peopleº rejoiced,ºª and brought in,ºª and castºª into the chest,º until² they had made an end.ºª 11 Now it came to pass,² that at what timeº² the chestº was broughtºª unto² the king'sº officeº by the handº of the Levites,º and when they sawºª that² [there was] muchº money,º the king'sº scribeºª and the highº priest'sº officerº cameºª and emptiedºª² the chest,º and tookºª it, and carriedºª it to² his placeº again.¹ª Thus² they didºª dayº by day,º and gatheredºª moneyº in abundance.º 12 And the kingº and Jehoiadaº gaveºª it to² such as didºª the workº of the serviceº of the houseº of the LORD,º and hiredºª² masonsºª and carpentersº to repairºª the houseº of the LORD,º and also² such as wroughtº ironº and brassº to mendºª² the houseº of the LORD.º 13 So the workmenººª wrought,ºª and the workº was¹ª perfectedº² by² them,¹ and they setºª² the houseº of Godº in² his state,º and strengthenedºª it. 14 And when they had finishedºª [it], they broughtºª² the restº of the moneyº beforeº the kingº and Jehoiada,º whereof were madeºª vesselsº for the houseº of the LORD,º [even] vesselsº to minister,º and to offerºª [withal], and spoons,º and vesselsº of goldº and silver.º And they offeredºª² burnt offeringsº in the houseº of the LORDº continuallyº all² the daysº of Jehoiada.º

Jehoiada's death and honourable burial.

15 ¶ But Jehoiadaº waxed old,ºª and was fullºª of daysº when he died;ºª an hundredº and thirtyº yearsº oldº [was he] when he died.º 16 And they buriedºª him in the cityº of Davidº among² the kings,º because² he had doneºª goodº in Israel,º both toward² God,º and toward his house.º

Joash, falling to idolatry, slayeth Zechariah the son of Jehoiada.

17 Now afterº the deathº of Jehoiadaº cameºª the princesº of Judah,º and made obeisanceºª to the king.º Then² the kingº hearkenedºª unto² them. 18 And they leftºª² the houseº of the LORDº Godº of their fathers,º and servedºª² grovesº and idols:º and wrathº came² upon² Judahº and Jerusalemº for this² their trespass.º 19 Yet he sentºª prophetsº to them, to bring them againºª unto² the LORD;º and they testifiedºª against them: but they would not² give ear.ºª 20 And the Spiritº of Godº came¹ª upon²² Zechariahº the sonº of Jehoiadaº the priest,º which stoodºª above²² the people,º and saidºª unto them, Thus² saithºª God,º Why² transgressºª ye²² the commandmentsº of the LORD,º that ye cannot² prosper?ºª because² ye have forsakenºª the LORD,º he hath also forsakenºª² you. 21 And they conspiredºª against² him, and stonedºª him with stonesº at the commandmentº of the kingº in the courtº of the houseº of the LORD.º 22 Thus Joashº the kingº rememberedºª not² the kindnessº which² Jehoiadaº his fatherº had doneºª to² him, but slewºª² his son.º And when he died,¹² he said,ºª The LORDº look¹ª upon² [it], and requireºª [it].

Joash is spoiled by the Syrians, and slain by Zabad and Jehozabad.

23 ¶ And it came to pass² at the endº of the year,º [that] the hostº of Syriaº came upºª against² him: and they cameºª to² Judahº and Jerusalem,º and destroyedºª² all² the princesº of the peopleº from among the people,º² and sentºª all² the spoilº of them unto the kingº of Damascus.º 24 For² the armyº of the Syriansº cameºª with a small¹ company² of men,¹² and the LORDº deliveredºª a veryº greatº hostº into their hand,º because² they had forsakenºª² the LORDº Godº of their fathers.º So they executedºª judgmentº against² Joash.º 25 And when they were departed¹ª² from² him, (for² they leftºª him in greatº diseases,)º his own servantsº conspiredºª against² him for the bloodº of the sonsº of Jehoiadaº the priest,º and slewºª him on² his bed,º and he died:ºª and they buriedºª him in the cityº of David,º but they buriedºª him not² in the sepulchresº of the kings.º 26 And these² are they that conspiredºª against² him; Zabadº the sonº of Shimeathº an Ammonitess,¹² and Jehozabadº the sonº of Shimrithº a Moabitess.º

Amaziah succeedeth him.

27 ¶ Now [concerning] his sons,º and the greatnessº¹ªª of the burdensº [laid] upon² him, and the repairingº of the houseº of God,º behold,² they [are] writtenºª in² the storyº of the bookº of the kings.º And Amaziahº his sonº reignedºª in his stead.²