| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. | 1Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. |
| 2Joash did what the LORD approved throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest. | 2And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. |
| 3Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters. | 3Jehoiada took for himself two wives, and he had sons and daughters. |
| 4Joash was determined to repair the LORD's temple. | 4Some time later, Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD. |
| 5He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, "Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!" But the Levites delayed. | 5So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste. |
| 6So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, "Why have you not made the Levites collect from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the LORD's servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?" | 6So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?” |
| 7(Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God's temple and used all the holy items of the LORD's temple in their worship of the Baals.) | 7For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the LORD for the Baals. |
| 8The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the LORD's temple. | 8At the king’s command a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the house of the LORD. |
| 9An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the LORD the tax that Moses, God's servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness. | 9And a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they were to bring to the LORD the tax imposed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. |
| 10All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. | 10All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full. |
| 11Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver. | 11Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites to the king’s overseers and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal scribe and the officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this daily and gathered the money in abundance. |
| 12The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen assigned to the LORD's temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the LORD's temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the LORD's temple. | 12Then the king and Jehoiada would give the money to those who supervised the labor on the house of the LORD to hire stonecutters and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, as well as workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. |
| 13They worked hard and made the repairs. They followed the measurements specified for God's temple and restored it. | 13So the workmen labored, and in their hands the repair work progressed. They restored the house of God according to its specifications, and they reinforced it. |
| 14When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the LORD's temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada's lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the LORD's temple. | 14When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada to make with it the articles for the house of the LORD—utensils for the service and for the burnt offerings, dishes, and other objects of gold and silver. Throughout the days of Jehoiada, burnt offerings were presented regularly in the house of the LORD. |
| 15Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. | 15When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130. |
| 16He was buried in the City of David with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple. | 16And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple. |
| 17After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. The king listened to their advice. | 17After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. |
| 18They abandoned the temple of the LORD God of their ancestors, and worshiped the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. | 18They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. |
| 19The LORD sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. They warned the people, but they would not pay attention. | 19Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them; but they would not listen. |
| 20God's Spirit energized Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, "This is what God says: 'Why are you violating the commands of the LORD? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the LORD, he has rejected you!'" | 20Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’ ” |
| 21They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's temple. | 21But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD. |
| 22King Joash disregarded the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada's son. As Zechariah was dying, he said, "May the LORD take notice and seek vengeance!" | 22Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.” |
| 23At the beginning of the year the Syrian army attacked Joash and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. | 23In the spring, the army of Aram went to war against Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people, and they sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. |
| 24Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the LORD handed over to them Judah's very large army, for the people of Judah had abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors. The Syrians gave Joash what he deserved. | 24Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash. |
| 25When they withdrew, they left Joash badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to the son of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. | 25And when the Arameans had withdrawn, they left Joash severely wounded. His own servants conspired against him for shedding the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. |
| 26The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman). | 26Those who conspired against Joash were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess. |
| 27The list of Joash's sons, the many prophetic oracles pertaining to him, and the account of his building project on God's temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings. His son Amaziah replaced him as king. | 27The accounts of the sons of Joash, as well as the many pronouncements about him and about the restoration of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place. |
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