¶ Joash¹ was seven years old³ when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba.

⁴And Joash⁵ did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada⁶ the priest.

And Jehoiada took for him⁷ two wives⁹; and he begat sons and daughters.

And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair¹⁰ the house of the LORD.

And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel¹¹ money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit¹² the Levites hastened it not.

And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou¹³ not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection¹⁴, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle¹⁵ of witness?

For the sons of Athaliah¹⁶, that wicked¹⁷ woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated¹⁸ things of the house of the LORD did they bestow¹⁹ upon Baalim.

And at the king's²⁰ commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.

And they made a proclamation²¹ through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.

¶ And all the princes and all the people rejoiced²², and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.

Now it came to pass, that at what time²³ the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe²⁴ and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did²⁵ day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such²⁶ as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons²⁷ and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.

So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them²⁸, and they set²⁹ the house of God in his state³⁰, and strengthened it.

And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister³², and to offer withal,³³ and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered³⁴ burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days³⁵ of Jehoiada.

¶ But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days³⁶ when he died; an hundred³⁷ and thirty years old was he when he died.

And they buried him in the city³⁸ of David among the kings, because³⁹ he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.

Now after⁴⁰ the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah⁴¹, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king⁴² hearkened unto them.

And they left⁴³ the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath⁴⁴ came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

Yet he sent⁴⁵ prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would⁴⁶ not give ear.

¶ And the Spirit⁴⁷ of God came upon⁴⁸ Zechariah the son⁴⁹ of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress⁵⁰ ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because⁵¹ ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

And they conspired⁵² against him, and stoned him⁵³ with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

Thus Joash the king remembered⁵⁴ not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son⁵⁵. And when he died, he said, The LORD⁵⁶ look upon it, and require it⁵⁷.

And it came to pass at the end⁵⁸ of the year, that the host⁵⁹ of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes⁶⁰ of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus⁶¹.

For the army of the Syrians came⁶² with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered⁶³ a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So⁶⁴ they executed judgment against Joash.

And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases⁶⁵,) his own servants⁶⁶ conspired against him for the blood⁶⁷ of the sons of Jehoiada⁶⁸ the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not⁶⁹ in the sepulchres of the kings.

And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad⁷⁰ the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith⁷¹ a Moabitess.

Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens⁷² laid upon him, and the repairing⁷³ of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story⁷⁴ of the book of the kings. And Amaziah⁷⁵ his son reigned in his stead.