2 Chronicles 24

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Joash was seven years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem.His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.	1 Joash was seven years old when he had begun to reign. And he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zibiah, from Beersheba.
2 Joash did what Yahweh regards as right throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.	2 And he did what is good before the Lord during all the days of Jehoiada, the priest.
3 Jehoiada found him two wives and he fathered several sons and daughters.	3 Now Jehoiada gave to him two wives, from whom he conceived sons and daughters.
4 Later, Joash made up his mind to repair the Temple of Yahweh.	4 After these things, it pleased Joash to repair the house of the Lord.
5 Calling the priests and the Levites together, he said, 'Go out to the towns of Judah and collect moneyfrom al Israel for annual repairs to the Temple of Yahweh. Do this quickly.' But the Levites were in no hurry,	5 And he gathered together the priests and Levites, and he said to them: “Go out to the cities of Judah, and collect from all of Israel money to repair the surfaces of the temple of your God, throughout each year. And do this promptly.” But the Levites acted negligently.
6 so the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said, 'Why have you not insisted on the Levites'bringing in the tax from Judah and Jerusalem for the Tent of Witness, as imposed by Moses servant of Yahwehand the community of Israel?' --	6 And the king summoned Jehoiada, the leader, and he said to him: “Why was there no concern with you, so that you would compel the Levites to bring, from Judah and from Jerusalem, the money that was appointed by Moses, the servant of the Lord, so as to bring it, from the entire multitude of Israel, to the tabernacle of the testimony?
7 Athaliah and her sons, whom she corrupted, despoiled the Temple of God and even assigned al thesacred revenues of the Temple of Yahweh to Baal.	7 For that very impious woman Athaliah and her sons have destroyed the house of God, and they have adorned the shrine of Baal from all the things that had been sanctified in the temple of the Lord.”
8 So, at the king's order, a chest was made and put outside the gate of the Temple of Yahweh,	8 Therefore, the king instructed, and they made an ark. And they placed it beside the gate of the house of the Lord, on the outside.
9 and a proclamation was issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem that the tax, which Moses servant ofGod had imposed on Israel in the desert, was to be brought to Yahweh.	9 And they proclaimed, in Judah and Jerusalem, that each one should bring to the Lord the money that Moses, the servant of God, appointed in the desert, concerning all of Israel.
10 Then al the officials and all the people gladly brought in their contributions, depositing them in thechest until the payment was complete.	10 And all the leaders and all the people rejoiced. And upon entering, they together took and placed so much into the ark of the Lord that it was filled.
11 Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites for royal inspection and found to contain a large sumof money, the king's secretary and the chief priest's representative would come and empty the chest and thenhave it returned to its place. This was done day after day and a great deal of money was col ected.	11 And when it was time for them to bring the ark before the king by the hands of the Levites, for they saw that there was much money, the scribe of the king, and the one whom the high priest had appointed, entered. And they poured out the money that was in the ark. Then they carried the ark back to its place. And they did this on each day. And an immense sum of money was gathered.
12 The king and Jehoiada handed it over to the foreman attached to the Temple of Yahweh, and thehired masons and carpenters set about repairing the Temple of Yahweh; and iron-workers and bronze-workerslaboured to repair the Temple of Yahweh.	12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who were in charge of the works of the house of the Lord. Then with it they hired hewers of stone, and artisans of every kind, so that they might repair the house of the Lord, and also so that the works of iron and of brass, which had begun to fall, would be reinforced.
13 The workmen got on with the task -- the repair work made good progress at their hands -- until theyhad restored the Temple of God to its former state and reconditioned it.	13 And those who were hired were working industriously. And the breach in the walls was healed by their hands. And they returned the house of the Lord to a pristine state. And they caused it stand firm.
14 When they had finished, they brought the balance of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and withthis vessels were made for the Temple of Yahweh, vessels for the liturgy and for the burnt offerings, bowls andother gold and silver vessels. And the perpetual burnt offering was offered in the Temple of Yahweh throughoutJehoiada's lifetime.	14 And when they had completed all the works, they brought the remaining part of the money before the king and Jehoiada. And from it, the vessels of the temple were made, for the ministry and for the holocausts, including bowls and other vessels of gold and silver. And holocausts were being offered in the house of the Lord continually, during all the days of Jehoiada.
15 But Jehoiada, growing old, had his fil of days and died. He died at the age of a hundred and thirtyyears,	15 But Jehoiada was old and full of days. And he died when he was one hundred thirty years old.
16 and was buried with the kings in the City of David because he had served Israel and God and hisTemple well.	16 And they buried him in the City of David, with the kings, because he had done good to Israel and to his house.
17 After Jehoiada's death the officials of Judah came to pay court to the king, and the king listened totheir advice,	17 Then, after Jehoiada passed away, the leaders of Judah entered and reverenced the king. And he was enticed by their obsequiousness, and so he acquiesced to them.
18 and they abandoned the Temple of Yahweh, God of their ancestors, for the worship of sacred polesand idols. Judah and Jerusalem incurred wrath because of this guilt of theirs.	18 And they abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and they served sacred groves and graven images. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of this sin.
19 He sent their prophets to lead them back to Yahweh; these put the case against them, but theywould not listen.	19 And he sent prophets to them, so that they might return to the Lord. And though they were offering testimony, they were not willing to listen to them.
20 The spirit of God then invested Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the peopleand said, 'God says this, "Why transgress Yahweh's commands to your certain ruin? For if you abandonYahweh, he will abandon you."	20 And so the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest. And he stood in the sight of the people, and he said to them: “Thus says the Lord God: Why have you transgressed the precept of the Lord, though it was not to your benefit, and why have you abandoned the Lord, so that he would then abandon you?”
21 They then plotted against him and, at the king's order, stoned him in the court of the Temple ofYahweh.	21 And gathering together against him, they stoned him, beside the place of the king, in the atrium of the house of the Lord.
22 Thus King Joash, forgetful of the devotion which Jehoiada father of Zechariah had displayed on hisbehalf, murdered his son, who cried out as he died, 'Yahweh wil see this and avenge it!'	22 And king Joash did not remember the mercy with which Jehoiada, his father, had treated him; instead he put to death his son. And as he was dying, he said: “May the Lord see and take account.”
23 At the turn of the year, the Aramaean army made war on Joash. When they reached Judah andJerusalem, they massacred al the nation's government officials and sent al their booty to the king of Damascus.	23 And when a year had turned, the army of Syria ascended against him. And they went to Judah and Jerusalem. And they put to death all the leaders of the people. And they sent all the spoils to the king of Damascus.
24 Although the invading Aramaean army was only a smal body of men, Yahweh al owed them todefeat a very large army because they had abandoned Yahweh, God of their ancestors; thus they executedjudgement on Joash. After they had retired -- for they left him seriously wounded-	24 And although certainly there had arrived a very small number of Syrians, the Lord delivered into their hands an immense multitude. For they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Also, against Joash they executed disgraceful judgments.
25 his own retainers plotted against him to avenge the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest andmurdered him in his bed. When he died he was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.	25 And upon departing, they left him greatly debilitated. Then his servants rose up against him, in vengeance for the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest. And they killed him on his bed, and he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but not in the sepulchers of the kings.
26 These were the conspirators: Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonite and Jehozabad son of Shimriththe Moabite.	26 Truly, those who ambushed him were Zabad, the son of an Ammonite woman named Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of a Moabite woman named Shimrith.
27 As regards his sons, the heavy tribute imposed on him, and the restoration of the Temple of God,this is recorded in the Commentary on the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah succeeded him.	27 But concerning his sons, and the sum of money that had been amassed under him, and the repairing of the house of God, these things have been written more diligently in the book of kings. Then his son, Amaziah, reigned in his place.