1 Joash was seven years old when he became king {be-malkho: at accession}, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, from Beersheba {be'er sheva: southern town}.
2 And Joash did what was right {hayashar: upright conduct} in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3 Jehoiada took two wives {nashim: married women} for him, and Joash fathered {vayoled: biological paternity} sons and daughters.
4 And it happened after this that it was in the heart {lev: inner resolve} of Joash to renew the house of the LORD {YHWH, Sanctuary Restorer}.
5 And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect from all Israel money to strengthen the house of your God {Elohim, Divine Authority} from year to year; and you, hasten the matter {davar: specific command}.” But the Levites did not hasten.
6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the collection, according to the command of Moses, the servant of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Enforcer}, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tent of the testimony {edut: legal witness}?”
7 For Athaliah the wicked woman, her sons broke into the house of God {Elohim: sacred abode}, and they dedicated all the holy things {kodshei: consecrated items} of the house of the LORD {YHWH: covenant sanctuary} to the Baals.
8 And the king said, and they made one chest, and they placed it at the gate {shaar: temple entry} of the house of the LORD {YHWH, Worshiped One}, outside.
9 And they issued a proclamation in Judah and in Jerusalem to bring to the LORD {YHWH, Worship Receiver} the contribution of Moses, the servant of God {Elohim, Divine Commander}, upon Israel in the wilderness {midbar: uninhabited region}.
10 And all the officials and all the people rejoiced, and they brought and cast them into the chest {aron: collection chest} until completion {lekhaleh: full completion}.
11 And it happened at the time when the chest was brought to the oversight of the king by the hand of the Levites {haleviyim: temple ministers}, and when they saw that the silver was abundant, the king’s scribe and the overseer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and then carry it and return it to its place. Thus they did day after day, and they collected silver in great abundance {rav: plentiful supply}.
12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those doing the work of the service {avodat: temple labor} of the house of the LORD {YHWH, Dwelling King}. They hired stonecutters and craftsmen to renew the house of the LORD, and also artisans of iron and bronze to strengthen the house of the LORD.
13 And the workers completed the work, and the repair progressed under them. They set up the house of God {Elohim: Holy Dwelling} upon its foundation and strengthened {’amatz: made it firm and enduring} it.
14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the silver before the king and Jehoiada, and they made from it vessels for the house of the LORD {YHWH, Worship Center}—vessels for service {shāret: temple ministry}, for burnt offerings, bowls, spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered up burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.
15 And Jehoiada {Yehoiada, High Priest} grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old {ben-meah ushloshim shanah: advanced age} at his death.
16 And they buried him in the City of David with the kings, because he had done good in Israel and with God {Elohim, Honored Deity} and with His house {beito: holy temple}.
17 And after the death of Jehoiada {Yehoyada: priestly leader}, officials {sarei: chief officials} of Judah came and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them.
18 And they forsook the house of the LORD {YHWH, Sanctuary Lord}, the God {Elohei, Ancestral Guardian} of their fathers, and they served the Asherim and the idols. Then wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their guilt {ashmatam: covenant violation}.
19 And He sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD {YHWH, Restorer}, and they testified against them, but they did not heed {heʾezinu: pay heed}.
20 And the Spirit of God {Elohim, Divine Empowerer} clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus says God {Elohim, Divine Speaker}: Why are you transgressing the commands of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge}? You will not prosper because you have forsaken the LORD, and He will forsake you."
21 But they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the command of the king, in the courtyard {chatzar: outer precincts} of the house of the LORD {YHWH, Sanctuary Judge}.
22 But King Joash did not remember the kindness {chesed: loyal covenant-faithfulness} that Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, had done for him, but he killed his son. And as he was dying, he said, “May the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Avenger} see and require it.”
23 And it happened at the turn {litkufat: campaign season} of the year that the army of Aram went up against him, came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus {darmasek: Aram’s stronghold}.
24 With only a few men {mitsar: limited number} the army of Aram came, and the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Judge} delivered into their hand a very great force, because they had forsaken the God {Elohei, Ancestral Deity} of their fathers; then they executed judgments on Joash.
25 And when they withdrew from him, because they had left him with diseases {machaluyim: severe afflictions}, his servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed. He died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the graves {kivrot: royal sepulchers} of the kings.
26 And these are the ones who conspired {mitkashsherim: conspirators} against him: Zabad, son of Shimath the Ammonite {Ammonit: native of Ammon} woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith the Moabite woman.
27 Now concerning his sons, the many burdens {massa: weighty pronouncements} upon him, and the restoration of the house of God {Elohim, Temple Owner}, behold, they are written in the commentary {midrash: interpretive record} of the book of the kings; and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.