Joash was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zibiah, of Beersheba. 2Joash did that which was right in the eyes of YAHWEH1 all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he became the father of sons and daughters.
4After this, Joash had a mind to restore the House of YAHWEH. 5He gathered together the priests and the Levites2, 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 hasten the matter.” However the Levites did not hurry. 6The king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the tax of Musa3 the servant of YAHWEH, and from the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?” 7For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the House of God; and they also gave all the dedicated things of the House of YAHWEH to the Baals.
8So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the House of YAHWEH. 9They made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for YAHWEH the tax that Musa the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end. 11It was so, that whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. 12The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the House of YAHWEH; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the House of YAHWEH, and also those who worked iron and bronze to repair the House of YAHWEH. 13So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands, and they set up the House of God in its state, and strengthened it. 14When they had made an end, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, of which were made vessels for the House of YAHWEH, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in the House of YAHWEH continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred thirty years old when he died. 16They buried him in the city of Dawud4 among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his House.
17Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came, and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18They abandoned the House of YAHWEH, the God of their fathers, and worshiped the Asherim and the idols: and wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness. 19Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again to YAHWEH; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
20The Spirit of God5 came on Zakariyya6 son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God7, ‘Why do you disobey the commandments of YAHWEH, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken YAHWEH, he has also forsaken you.'”
21They conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the House of YAHWEH. 22Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, “YAHWEH look on it, and require it.”
23It happened at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them to the king of Damascus. 24For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and YAHWEH delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken YAHWEH, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.
25When they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of Dawud, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26These are those who conspired against him: Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid on him, and the rebuilding of God’s House, behold, they are written in the record of the Book of Kings. Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
- 24:2 YAHWEH, God’s personal Name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15: ‘God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”’ ↩︎
- 24:5 Levites, the descendants of Levi, one of the 12 sons of Prophet Yaqub (Jacob), from whose family line came all the priests who served in the Holy House of God, the Temple at Jerusalem. ↩︎
- 24:6 Musa, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Moses meaning “to pull out” or “draw out” (of water); referring to the biblical story where he was rescued from the Nile River by Firaun’s daughter. ↩︎
- 24:16 Dawud, this Arabic name is derived from David (Hebrew) and means “Beloved.” ↩︎
- 24:20 Spirit of God; not an angel, created being, nor an impersonal force, but the uncreated, eternal essence of God himself. The Spirit was present and active at the creation of heaven and earth (see Genesis 1:2). He is also the one who moved the prophets to speak God’s Word to mankind (see 2 Peter 1:21). The Spirit also lives inside of every follower of ‘ISA AL-MASIH, empowering them to live in a way pleasing to God (see 1 Corinthians 3:16). ↩︎
- 24:20 Zakariyya, this Arabic name is derived from the Hebrew name Zechariah, which means “YAHWEH remembers.” ↩︎
- 24:20 God, English translation of elohim. Elohim (Hebrew) is related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎