Blending of 2 Chronicles 22:10-24:27 & 2 Kings 11-12

Bible Narrative Project Blending #23: 2 Chronicles 22:10-24:27 & 2 Kings 11-12

Athaliah Queen of Judah

10 Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath (Jehosheba) King Joram’s daughter, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she would not put him to death. So they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death. 12 He was hidden with her/them in the house of LORD God six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Joash (Jehoash) Reigns over Judah

1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Jehoash did right in the sight of the LORD all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Jehoiada Sets Joash on the Throne of Judah

1 Now in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and sent and took/brought captains of hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him in the house of the LORD: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Johanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, and they entered into a covenant with him and put (he) them under oath in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king’s son. 2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD has spoken concerning the sons of David.” 5 He commanded them, saying, 4 “This is the thing which you shall do: one third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the sabbath and keep watch over the king’s house, 6 shall be gatekeepers (one third also shall be at the gate Sur, and one third at the gate behind the guards), 5 and one third shall be at the king’s house, shall keep watch over the house for defense, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. 7 “Two parts of you, even all who go out on the sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of the LORD for the king. 6 “But let no one enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people keep the charge of the LORD. 7 “The Levites will surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever enters the house, let him be killed; whoever comes within the ranks shall be put to death. Thus be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 So the Levites and the captains of hundreds and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each one of them took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who were to go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss any of the divisions. 9 Then Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had been King David’s, which were in the house of (the LORD) God. 10 He stationed all the people, each man/guard stood with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. 11 Then they/he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and they clapped their hands and said, “Long live the king!”

Athaliah Murdered

12/13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people running and praising the king, she came into the house of the LORD to the people. 13/14 She looked, and behold, the king was standing by his pillar at the entrance, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters were beside the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, the singers with their musical instruments leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 14/15 Jehoiada the priest brought out (commanded) the captains of hundreds who were appointed over the army and said to them, “Bring her out between the ranks; and whoever follows her, put to death with the sword.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” 15/16 So they seized her, and when she arrived at the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king’s house, they put her to death there.

Reforms Carried Out

16/17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they would be the LORD’S people, also between the king and the people. 17/18 All the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. 19/20 He took the captains of hundreds and the Carites, the nobles, the rulers of the people, the guards and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD, and came by the way through the upper gate of the guards to the king’s house. And they placed the king upon the royal throne, and he sat on the throne of the kings. 18 Moreover, Jehoiada placed the offices of the house of the LORD under the authority of the Levitical priests, whom David had assigned over the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses -with rejoicing and singing according to the order of David. 19 He stationed the gatekeepers of the house of the LORD, so that no one would enter who was in any way unclean. 20/21 So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king’s house. 21 Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.

Young Joash Influenced by Jehoiada

1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. 2 Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

Faithless Priests

4 Now it came about after this that Joash decided to restore the house of the LORD. 5 He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the matter quickly.” 4 Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the sacred things which is brought into the house of the LORD, in current money, both the money of each man’s assessment and all the money which any man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD, 5 let the priests take it for themselves, each from his acquaintance; and they shall repair the damages of the house wherever any damage may be found.” But the Levites did not act quickly; it came about that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had not repaired the damages of the house. 6 So the king summoned (called for) Jehoiada the chief priest and for the other priests and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the levy fixed by Moses the servant of the LORD on the congregation of Israel for the tent of the testimony?” 7 “Why do you not repair the damages of the house? Now therefore take no more money from your acquaintances, but pay it for the damages of the house.” For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even used the holy things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

Temple Repaired

8 So the king commanded. 8 So the priests agreed that they would take no more money from the people, nor repair the damages of the house. 9 But Jehoiada the priest took and they made a chest bored a hole in its lid and put it outside by the gate, beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the LORD. 9 They made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the levy fixed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officers, the priests who guarded the threshold, and all the people rejoiced and brought in their levies and dropped them into the chest; put in it all the money which was brought into the house of the LORD until they had finished. 11 It came about whenever the chest was brought in to the king’s officer by the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money in the chest, then the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come, empty the chest, tie [the money] in bags and count the money which was found in the house of the LORD, take [the chest], and return it to its place. Thus they did daily and collected much money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave the money which was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they hired (and) paid it out to the masons and carpenters who worked to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD 12 and to the masons and the stonecutters , and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the damages to the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. 13 So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they restored the house of God according to its specifications and strengthened it. 13 But there were not made for the house of the LORD silver cups, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver from the money which was brought into the house of the LORD; 14 for they gave that to those who did the work, and with it they repaired the house of the LORD. 15 Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD; it was for the priests. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the LORD, utensils for the service and the burnt offering, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. 16 They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel and to God and His house. 17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. 19 Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen.

Joash Murders Son of Jehoiada

20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper ? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.'” 21 So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May the LORD see and avenge!”

Aram Invades and Defeats Judah

17 Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 23 Now it happened at the turn of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 18 Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred things and all the gold that was found among the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent them to Hazael king of Aram. 24 Indeed the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the LORD delivered a very great army into their hands, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash. Then he [Hazael king of Aram] went away from Jerusalem. 25 When they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons and the many oracles against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.

Joash (Jehoash) Succeeded by Amaziah in Judah

19 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 His servants arose and made a conspiracy and struck down Joash at the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla. 21 For Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son became king in his place.