He gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, "Go out to the towns of Judah and collect money from all Israel, year by year, to repair the house of your God. See that you act quickly in this matter." But the Levites did not act quickly.
So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, "Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax laid down by Moses, the servant of the LORD, and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the testimony?"
Then a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem that the tax imposed on Israel in the wilderness by Moses, the servant of God, should be brought to the LORD.
Whenever the chest was carried by the Levites to the king's officers and they saw that there was a great deal of money in it, the king's secretary and the chief priest's officer would come, empty the chest, and carry it back to its place. This they did day after day, and they collected a large amount of money.
The king and Jehoiada handed it over to those who carried out the work of the house of the LORD, and they hired stonecutters and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair it.
The workmen labored, and under their hands the work of repair went forward. They restored the house of God according to its original design and reinforced it.
When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and it was used to make utensils for the house of the LORD: vessels for the service and for the burnt offerings, dishes, and articles of gold and silver. And throughout Jehoiada's lifetime burnt offerings were presented continually in the house of the LORD.
They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and the idols. Because of this guilt of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said to them, "This is what God says: Why do you break the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you."
King Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada his father had shown him, but killed Jehoiada's son. As he lay dying he said, "May the LORD see this and call you to account."
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At the turn of the year the army of Aram marched against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the leaders of the people, and sent all the plunder to the king of Damascus.
Though the army of Aram had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hands a very great army, because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they carried out judgment on Joash.
When the Arameans withdrew, they left him severely wounded. His own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
The account of his sons, the many prophecies against him, and the restoration of the house of God are written in the commentary on the Book of the Kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.