24:17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. 1 The king listened to their advice. 2 24:18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors, 3 and worshiped 4 the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 24:19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. 5 They warned 6 the people, but they would not pay attention. 24:20 God’s Spirit energized 7 Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 24:21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 24:22 King Joash disregarded 8 the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s 9 son. As Zechariah 10 was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!” 11
24:23 At the beginning 12 of the year the Syrian army attacked 13 Joash 14 and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24:24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army, 15 for the people of Judah 16 had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians 17 gave Joash what he deserved. 18 24:25 When they withdrew, they left Joash 19 badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to 20 the son 21 of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus 22 he died and was buried in the City of David, 23 but not in the tombs of the kings.
1 tn Heb “came and bowed down to the king.”
2 tn Heb “to them.”
3 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 24).
4 tn Heb “served.”
5 tn Heb “and he sent among them prophets to bring them back to the
6 tn Heb “testified among.”
7 tn Heb “clothed.”
8 tn Heb “did not remember.”
9 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Heb “and seek [ – ].” The direct object of “seek” is omitted in the Hebrew text but implied; “vengeance” is supplied for clarification.
12 tn Heb “turning.”
13 tn Heb “went up against.”
14 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Heb “though with a small amount of men the army of Aram came, the
16 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
17 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Heb “executed judgments [on] Joash.”
19 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of.”
21 tc The MT has the plural בְּנֵי (bÿney, “sons”), but the final yod is dittographic. Note the yod that immediately follows.
22 tn Heb “and he died.”
23 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.