16. They buried him in the City of David with the kings, because of the good he had done in Israel, especially for God and his house.
17. After the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king; then the king listened to them.
18. They abandoned the house of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and began to serve the asherahs and the idols; and because of this crime of theirs, wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem.
19. Although prophets were sent to them to turn them back to the Lord and to warn them, the people would not listen.
20. Then the spirit of God clothed Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He took his stand above the people and said to them: “Thus says God, Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.”
21. But they conspired against him, and at the king’s command they stoned him in the court of the house of the Lord.
22. Thus King Joash was unmindful of the devotion shown him by Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, and killed the son. As he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge.”
23. At the turn of the year a force of Arameans came up against Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killed all the princes of the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.