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Chapter 24
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1
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Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and
he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name
also was Zibiah of Beersheba. |
2
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And Joash did that which was right in the sight of
the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. |
3
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And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons
and daughters. |
4
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And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded
to repair the house of the LORD. |
5
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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. |
6
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And the king called for Jehoiada 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? |
7
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For the sons of Athaliah, 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 Baalim. |
8
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And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and
set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD. |
9
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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. |
10
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And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and
brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made
an end. |
11
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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. |
12
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And the king and Jehoiada 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. |
13
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So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected
by them, and they set the house of God in his state,
and strengthened it. |
14
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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 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
Jehoiada. |
15
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But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he
died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he
died. |
16
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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. |
17
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Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of
Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king
hearkened unto them. |
18
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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. |
19
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Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto
the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would
not give ear. |
20
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And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of
Jehoiada 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. |
21
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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. |
22
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Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which
Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son.
And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and
require it. |
23
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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. |
24
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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 Joash. |
25
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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 Jehoiada 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. |
26
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And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad
the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the
son of Shimrith a Moabitess. |
27
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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 Amaziah his son reigned in his stead. |
