1 Yo’ash was seven years old when he began his reign, and he reigned forty years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Tzivyah, from Be’er-Sheva.
2 Yo’ash did what was right fromAdonai’s perspective throughout the lifetime of Y’hoyada thecohen.
3 Y’hoyada chose two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.
4 Some time later, Yo’ash decided to restore the house ofAdonai.
5 He gathered thecohanimandL’vi’imand said to them, “Go out to the cities of Y’hudah, and collect money each year from all Isra’el to repair the house of your God. See that you do this promptly.” But when theL’vi’improcrastinated,
6 the king summoned Y’hoyada the chief and said to him, “Why haven’t you demanded that theL’vi’imbring in from Y’hudah and Yerushalayim the tax prescribed by Moshe the servant ofAdonaiand by the community of Isra’el, for the tent of the testimony?”
7 For the sons of that wicked ‘Atalyahu had broken up the house of God, and they had given all the consecrated things belonging to the house ofAdonaito theba‘alim.
8 Then, at the king’s order, they made a box and placed it outside the entrance to the house ofAdonai.
9 They proclaimed throughout Y’hudah and Yerushalayim that the tax Moshe the servant of God had imposed on Isra’el in the desert should be brought in forAdonai.
10 All the leaders and all the people were glad to bring in their contributions and put them in the box, until it was full.
11 When the box was brought to the king’s officials by theL’vi’im, and when they saw how much money there was, the king’s secretary and the chiefcohen’s official came and emptied the box; then they took it and returned it to its place. They did this daily, and they collected money in abundance.
12 The king and Y’hoyada gave it to those in charge of taking care of the house ofAdonai. They, in turn, hired stone-workers and carpenters to restore the house ofAdonai, also iron- and bronze-workers to repair the house ofAdonai.
13 The workers got on with their tasks, so that the restoration progressed well, until they had returned the house of God to its earlier condition and strengthened it.
14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Y’hoyada, and it was used to make equipment for the house ofAdonai—articles for ministry, buckets, fire pans, and utensils of gold and silver. So they offered burnt offerings in the house ofAdonairegularly throughout the time of Y’hoyada.
15 But Y’hoyada grew old; and when he was full of days, he died. He was 130 years old when he died.
16 They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had served Isra’el, God and his house well.
17 After Y’hoyada died, the leaders of Y’hudah came and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king listened to them;
18 and they abandoned the house ofAdonaithe God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. In consequence of their guilt, [God’s] anger fell on Y’hudah and Yerushalayim.
19 In spite of this, he sent them prophets to bring them back toAdonai; they warned them, but they wouldn’t pay attention.
20 The Spirit of God covered Z’kharyah the son of Y’hoyada thecohen; he stood above the people and addressed them: “Thus says God: ‘Why are you transgressing themitzvotofAdonaiand courting disaster? Because you have abandonedAdonai, he has abandoned you.”
21 But they conspired against him and stoned him to death at the order of the king in the courtyard of the house ofAdonai.
22 Thus Yo’ash the king did not remember the kindness which Y’hoyada, [Z’kharyah’s] father, had done for him, but put his son to death. As he was dying he said, “MayAdonaisee this and take vengeance!”
23 The following spring, the army of Aram came up against him. They attacked Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, slaughtered all the people’s leaders and sent all their spoil to the king of Dammesek.
24 Although the army of Aram attacked with only a small company of men,Adonaihanded over a very great army to them, because they had abandonedAdonaithe God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment against Yo’ash.
25 After they had left him — and they left him seriously wounded — his own servants conspired against him because he had shed the blood of the sons of Y’hoyada thecohen; and they killed him in his own bed. After he died, they buried him in the City of David, but they didn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings.
26 Those who conspired against him were Zavad the son of Shim‘at the ‘Amonit and Y’hozavad the son of Shimrit the Mo’avit.
27 As for his sons, the heavy tribute imposed on him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, they are recorded in the commentary of the Annals of the Kings. Then Amatzyahu his son took his place as king.