2 Chronicles 24
Zechariah Stoned in the Court of the Lord’s House
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Joash King of Judah
24:1Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Sabia from Beersabee.
24:2Joash did what was right before the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
24:3Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he fathered sons and daughters.
The Repair of the House of the Lord
24:4After this, it came into Joash’s heart to repair the Lord’s house.
24:5He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to Judah’s cities and collect silver from all Israel to strengthen the Lord’s house year by year. Hurry to speak.” But the Levites did not hurry.
24:6King Joash called Jehoiada the ruler and said to him, “Why have you not overseen the Levites’ bringing from Judah and Jerusalem what Moses the man of God prescribed when he assembled Israel for the Tent of Testimony?”
24:7For Athaliah was the lawless woman, and her sons had pulled down God’s house; they had also used the holy things of the Lord’s house for the Baalim.
24:8The king said, “Let a collection box be made and placed outside at the gate of the Lord’s house.
24:9Let them proclaim in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord as Moses, God’s servant, directed Israel in the wilderness.”
24:10All the rulers and all the people gave. They brought their contributions and put them into the collection box until it was full.
24:11Whenever the collection box was brought by the Levites to the king’s overseers, and they saw that the silver had increased, the king’s scribe and the high priest’s overseer came, emptied the collection box, and restored it to its place. They did this day after day and gathered much silver.
24:12The king and Jehoiada the priest gave it to those doing the work for the service of the Lord’s house. They hired stonecutters and carpenters to repair the Lord’s house, and smiths of iron and bronze to repair the Lord’s house.
24:13The workers did their work, and the extent of the work increased through their hands. They set the Lord’s house in its standing place and strengthened it.
24:14When they finished, they brought the remaining silver to the king and Jehoiada. They made articles for the Lord’s house: articles for the service of burnt offerings and golden and silver incense vessels. They offered burnt offerings continually in the Lord’s house all Jehoiada’s days.
The Death of Jehoiada
24:15Jehoiada grew old, full of days, and died, being one hundred thirty years old at his death.
24:16They buried him in David’s city with the kings, because he had done good toward Israel and toward God and His house.
Judah Abandons the Lord
24:17After Jehoiada’s death, Judah’s rulers came in and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them.
24:18They abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, and served the Astartes and idols. Wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem on that day.
24:19He sent prophets to them to turn them back to the Lord, but they did not listen. They testified to them, but they did not listen.
The Stoning of Azarias
24:20The Spirit of God clothed Azarias, the priest, son of Jehoiada. He stood above the people and said, “Thus says the Lord: Why do you transgress the Lord’s commandments? You will not prosper. Because you have abandoned the Lord, He will abandon you.”
24:21They attacked him and stoned him by the command of King Joash in the courtyard of the Lord’s house.
24:22Joash did not remember the mercy that Jehoiada, the victim’s father, had shown him, but put his son to death. As he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and judge!”
The Syrian Army and the Death of Joash
24:23After the year’s completion, Syria’s army came up against him. It came against Judah and Jerusalem, and they destroyed all the people’s rulers among the people and sent all their spoils to the king of Damascus.
24:24Although Syria’s army arrived with few men, God delivered a very great army into their hands, because they had abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers. He executed judgments against Joash.
24:25After they left him, leaving him with grave illnesses, his servants attacked him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest. They put him to death on his bed, and he died. They buried him in David’s city, but did not bury him in the tomb of the kings.
24:26Those who attacked him were Zabed son of Samath, the Ammonite, and Jozabed son of Somaroth, the Moabite,
24:27and all his sons; the five came against him. The remaining matters are written in the writing of the kings. His son Amaziah reigned in his place.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.