2 Chronicles 24
The Reign of Joash of
Judah |
2 Kgs. 12.1-21 |
1 |
Jo'ash was seven years old when he
began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His
mother's name also was Zibi'ah of Beer-sheba.
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2 |
And Jo'ash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of
Jehoi'ada the priest.
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3 |
And Jehoi'ada took for him two wives; and
he begat sons and daughters.
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4 |
And it came to pass after this, that Jo'ash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.
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5 |
And he gathered together the priests and
the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and
gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year
to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites
hastened it not.
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6 |
And the king called for Jehoi'ada the
chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites
to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the
LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for
the tabernacle of witness? Ex. 30.11-16
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7 |
For the sons of Athali'ah, that wicked
woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated
things of the house of the LORD did they bestow
upon Ba'alim.
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8 |
And at the king's commandment they made
a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.
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9 |
And they made a proclamation through
Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon
Israel in the wilderness.
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10 |
And all the princes and all the people
rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had
made an end.
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11 |
Now it came to pass, that at what time
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 scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the
chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did
day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
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12 |
And the king and Jehoi'ada gave it to
such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the
house of the LORD, and also such as wrought
iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.
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13 |
So the workmen wrought, and the work was
perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and
strengthened it.
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14 |
And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoi'ada,
whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they
offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoi'ada.
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15 |
But Jehoi'ada waxed old, and was full
of days when he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
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16 |
And they buried him in the city of David
among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward
God, and toward his house.
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17 |
Now after the death of Jehoi'ada came
the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king
hearkened unto them.
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18 |
And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and
idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their
trespass.
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19 |
Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring
them again unto the LORD; and they testified
against them: but they would not give ear.
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20 |
And the Spirit of God came upon
Zechari'ah the son of Jehoi'ada the priest, which stood above the
people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the
commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot
prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he
hath also forsaken you.
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21 |
And they conspired against him, and
stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court
of the house of the LORD. Mt. 23.35 · Lk. 11.51
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22 |
Thus Jo'ash the king remembered not the
kindness which Jehoi'ada his father had done to him, but slew his
son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look
upon it, and require it.
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23 |
And it came to pass at the end of the
year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they
came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the
people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto
the king of Damascus.
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24 |
For the army of the Syrians came with a
small company of men, and the LORD delivered a
very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the
LORD God of their fathers. So they executed
judgment against Jo'ash.
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25 |
And when they were departed from him,
(for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired
against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoi'ada the priest, and
slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of
David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the
kings.
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26 |
And these are they that conspired against
him; Zabad the son of Shim'e-ath an Ammonitess, and Jehoz'abad the
son of Shimrith a Moabitess.
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27 |
Now concerning his sons, and the
greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of
the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of
the book of the kings. And Amazi'ah his son reigned in his
stead.
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