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2 Chronicles 24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 Chronicles 24
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 24
The Temple Restored. 1 (A)Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, from Beer-sheba. 2 Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight as long as Jehoiada the priest lived. 3 Jehoiada provided him with two wives, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
4 After some time, Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord. 5 He gathered together the priests and Levites and said to them: “Go out to all the cities of Judah and gather money[a] from all Israel that you may repair the house of your God over the years. You must hurry this project.” But the Levites did not. 6 Then the king summoned Jehoiada, who was in charge, and said to him: “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and by the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?”(B) 7 For the wicked Athaliah and her sons had damaged the house of God and had even turned over to the Baals the holy things of the Lord’s house.
8 At the king’s command, therefore, they made a chest, which they put outside the gate of the Lord’s house.(C) 9 They had it proclaimed throughout Judah and Jerusalem that the tax which Moses, the servant of God, had imposed on Israel in the wilderness should be brought to the Lord.(D) 10 All the princes and the people rejoiced; they brought what was asked and cast it into the chest until it was filled. 11 Whenever the chest was brought to the royal officials by the Levites and they noticed that there was a large amount of money, the royal scribe and an overseer for the chief priest would come up, empty the chest, and then take it back and return it to its place. This they did day after day until they had collected a large sum of money. 12 Then the king and Jehoiada gave it to the workers in charge of the labor on the Lord’s house, who hired masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s house, and also iron- and bronze-smiths to repair it. 13 The workers labored, and the task of restoration progressed under their hands. They restored the house of God according to its original form, and reinforced it. 14 After they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and to Jehoiada, who had it made into utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and the burnt offerings, and basins and other gold and silver utensils.[b] They sacrificed burnt offerings in the Lord’s house continually all the days of Jehoiada. 15 Jehoiada grew old, full of years, and died; he was a hundred and thirty years old. 16 They buried him in the City of David with the kings, because of the good he had done in Israel, especially for God and his house.
Joash’s Apostasy. 17 After the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king; then the king listened to them. 18 They abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and began to serve the asherahs and the idols;(E) and because of this crime of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although prophets were sent to them to turn them back to the Lord and to warn them, the people would not listen. 20 (F)Then the spirit of God clothed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He took his stand above the people and said to them: “Thus says God, Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.” 21 But they conspired against him, and at the king’s command they stoned him in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and killed the son. As he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge.”
Joash Punished. 23 At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killed all the princes of the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.(G) 24 Though the Aramean force was small, the Lord handed over a very large force into their power,(H) because Judah had abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors. So judgment was meted out to Joash. 25 (I)After the Arameans had departed from him, abandoning him to his many injuries, his servants conspired against him because of the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest. They killed him on his sickbed. He was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad, son of Shimeath from Ammon, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith from Moab. 27 An account of his sons, the great tribute imposed on him, and his rebuilding of the house of God is written in the midrash of the book of the kings. His son Amaziah succeeded him as king.(J)
Footnotes
- 24:5 Gather money: according to 2 Kgs 12:5 the people themselves brought the money, consisting at least in part of voluntary contributions, to the Temple. By the time of the Chronicler, a fixed head tax for the upkeep of the Temple had been introduced; see 2 Chr 34:9; Neh 10:32; Ex 30:12–16. This was still in force in New Testament times (Mt 17:24–25).
- 24:14 See the parallel in 2 Kgs 12:14–15; the passages are difficult to reconcile.
2 Chronicles 24
New International Version
2 Chronicles 24
New International Version
Joash Repairs the Temple(A)(B)
24 Joash 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. 2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord(C) all the years of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
4 Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. 5 He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money(D) due annually from all Israel,(E) to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites(F) did not act at once.
6 Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in 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 covenant law?”(G)
7 Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.
8 At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. 9 A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly,(H) dropping them into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired(I) masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.
13 The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord.
15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. 16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.
The Wickedness of Joash
17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned(J) the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols.(K) Because of their guilt, God’s anger(L) came on Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.(M)
20 Then the Spirit(N) of God came on Zechariah(O) son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.(P) Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken(Q) you.’”
21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned(R) him to death(S) in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.(T) 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”(U)
23 At the turn of the year,[a] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people.(V) They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men,(W) the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army.(X) Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried(Y) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad,[b] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith[c](Z) a Moabite woman.(AA) 27 The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 24:23 Probably in the spring
- 2 Chronicles 24:26 A variant of Jozabad
- 2 Chronicles 24:26 A variant of Shomer
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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