12 Joash became king of Judah in the seventh year that Jehu was king of Israel. Joash ruled in Jerusalem for 40 years. His mother's name was Zibiah. She came from Beersheba. 2 Jehoiada the priest taught Joash to do what was right. So Joash pleased the Lord all through his life. [ a ] 3 But Joash did not remove the altars on the hills. The people continued to offer sacrifices and to burn incense on those altars.
4 Joash said to all the priests, ‘Bring together all the money that people have offered to the Lord in his temple. This includes:
the money that each person pays as his tax,
the money that people have given because of a promise,
and the money that people have chosen to give for the temple.
5 Each priest should receive the money that he needs to make repairs to the temple. When he sees that something is broken, he can use some of the people's money to mend it.’
6 When Joash had been king for 23 years, the priests had still not made any repairs to the temple. 7 So King Joash called Jehoiada and the other priests to come to him. He said to them, ‘You have made no repairs to the temple yet! Why not? Do not take any more of your people's money! It must only be used to make repairs to the temple.’ 8 The priests agreed that they would not take any more money from the people. They agreed that they would not make repairs to the temple themselves. [ b ]
9 Jehoiada the priest took a large box and he made a hole in the top of it. He put it outside the entrance of the temple, on the right side of the altar. The priests who were guards at the temple door took care of the box. When people brought gifts of money to the Lord 's temple, the priests put the money in the box. 10 Whenever there was a lot of money in the box, the king's secretary and the leader of the priests counted the money. Then they put those gifts for the temple into bags. 11 When they knew how much money was there, they gave it to the men who had authority over the work. Then those men paid the carpenters and the builders who were working on the Lord 's temple. 12 They also paid the men that cut the stones and the men who used the stones to build with. They bought wood and they bought stones that people had cut to use for the repairs to the Lord 's temple. They used the money to pay for any work on the repairs.
13 But they did not use any of this money to buy things that they used in the temple. This included:
silver bowls,
small tools that they used for the lamps,
bowls for water,
trumpets,
and anything else that was made with silver or gold.
14 Instead, they used all the money to give to the men who had authority over the repairs to the Lord 's temple. 15 Those men did not have to give a report on how they used the money. People knew that they were honest men. 16 But the money that people gave when they made a guilt offering or a sin offering belonged to the priests. It did not pay for the repairs on the temple.
17 At that time, Hazael, the king of Syria, attacked Gath. [ c ] His army took the city for him. Then King Hazael decided to attack Jerusalem.
18 Joash, the king of Judah, took all the valuable things that he and his ancestors had given to God. Those ancestors were the kings of Judah: Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah. He also took gold that was in the palace and in the temple. He sent all those valuable things to Hazael, king of Syria. [ d ] When Hazael received the gifts from Joash, he took his army away from Jerusalem.
19 The other things that happened while Joash was king are written in a book. The book is called ‘The history of Judah's kings’. It tells about all the things that Joash did. 20 Joash's officers decided to kill him. Two of them murdered him at Beth Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla. 21 The officers that killed him were Shimeath's son Jozabad and Shomer's son Jehozabad. People buried Joash beside his ancestors in the City of David. His son Amaziah became king after him.
12 Joash began to rule during Jehu’s seventh year as king of Israel. Joash ruled 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 For as long as he lived, Joash did what the Lord considered right. He did what Jehoiada the priest taught him. 3 But he did not destroy the high places. The people still made sacrifices and burned incense at those places of worship.
4-5 Joash said to the priests, “There is much money in the Lord ’s Temple. People have given things to the Temple and have paid the Temple tax when they were counted. And they have given money simply because they wanted to. You priests should take that money and repair the Lord ’s Temple. Each priest should use the money he gets from the people he serves. He should use that money to repair the damage to the Temple.”
6 In the 23rd year that Joash was king, the priests still had not repaired the Temple, 7 so King Joash called for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests. Joash said to them, “Why haven’t you repaired the Temple? Stop taking money from the people you serve. That money must be used to repair the Temple.”
8 The priests agreed to stop taking money from the people, but they also decided not to repair the Temple. 9 So Jehoiada the priest took a box and made a hole in the top of it. Then he put the box on the south side of the altar. This box was by the door where people came into the Lord ’s Temple. Some of the priests were there to guard this doorway. [ a ] They took the money that people brought for the Lord ’s temple and put it into this box.
10 Whenever the king’s secretary and the high priest saw that the box was full, they counted all the money that had been given for the Lord ’s Temple and put it in bags. 11 Then they paid the men who were in charge of the work on the Lord ’s Temple. They paid the carpenters and other builders who worked on the Lord ’s Temple. 12 They used that money to pay the stoneworkers and stonecutters, and they used it to buy timber, cut stone, and everything else to repair the Lord ’s Temple.
13-14 People gave money for the Lord ’s Temple, but the priests could not use this money to make silver cups, snuffers, basins, trumpets, or any of the gold and silver dishes that were to be used inside the Lord ’s temple. This money was used only to pay the workers who repaired the Lord ’s Temple. 15 Those who were in charge of paying the workers did not have to give a report of how they spent the money, because they could be trusted.
16 People gave money when they offered guilt offerings and sin offerings, but that money was not used for the Lord ’s temple. It belonged to the priests.
17 Hazael was the king of Aram. He went to fight against the city of Gath and defeated it. Then he made plans to go fight against Jerusalem.
18 Joash [ b ] and his ancestors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah—had all been kings of Judah. They had given many things to the Lord that were kept in his Temple. Joash gathered all these things and all the gold that was stored in the Temple and in his palace. He sent all this treasure to King Hazael of Aram, who then commanded his army to leave Jerusalem.
19 All the great things that Joash did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah .
20 Joash’s officers made plans against him. They killed Joash at the house of Millo on the road that goes down to Silla. 21 Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer were Joash’s officers. These men killed Joash.
The people buried Joash with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Amaziah became the new king after him.
12 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3 But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord , even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the Lord ,
5 Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.
6 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.
8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.
9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the Lord : and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord .
10 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the Lord .
11 And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the Lord : and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the Lord ,
12 And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the Lord , and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.
13 Howbeit there were not made for the house of the Lord bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord :
14 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the Lord .
15 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.
16 The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the Lord : it was the priests'.
17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
18 And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord , and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.
19 And 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 And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.
21 For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
12 In the seventh year of Jehu, [ a ] ( A ) Jehoash became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Only ( B ) the high places did not end; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
4 Then Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the sacred offerings ( C ) which is brought into the house of the Lord , in current money, both ( D ) the money of each man’s assessment and all the money [ b ] which anyone’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord , 5 The priests are to take it for themselves, each from his [ c ] acquaintance; and they shall repair [ d ] damage to the house wherever [ e ] any damage is found.”
6 But it came about that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, ( E ) the priests had not repaired any damage to the house. 7 So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said to them, “Why do you not repair damage to the house? Now then, you are not to take any more money from your [ f ] acquaintances, but give it up for the damage to the house.” 8 The priests then agreed that they would not take any more money from the people, nor would they [ g ] repair damage to the house.
9 Instead, ( F ) Jehoiada the priest [ h ] took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid and put it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord ; and the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord . 10 When they saw that there was a great amount of money in the chest, ( G ) the king’s scribe and the high priest went up and tied it up in bags, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord . 11 And they handed the money which was assessed over to those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the Lord ; and they [ i ] paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord ; 12 and ( H ) to the masons and the stonecutters, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the damage to the house of the Lord , and for everything that [ j ] was laid out for the house to repair it. 13 However ( I ) there were not made for the house of the Lord ( J ) silver cups, shears, bowls, trumpets, any receptacles of gold, or receptacles 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, ( K ) they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hands they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, because they acted faithfully. 16 The ( L ) money from the guilt offerings and ( M ) the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord ; ( N ) it belonged to the priests.
17 Then ( O ) Hazael the king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and ( P ) Hazael [ k ] was intent on going up against Jerusalem. 18 So ( Q ) Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred offerings that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had consecrated, and ( R ) his own sacred offerings, 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. Then he withdrew from Jerusalem.
19 Now as for the rest of the acts of Joash and everything that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 20 And ( S ) his servants rose up and formed a conspiracy; and they ( T ) struck and killed Joash at ( U ) the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla. 21 For Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of ( V ) Shomer, his servants, struck him and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son ( W ) Amaziah became king in his place.
12 [ a ] In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash [ b ] ( B ) became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2 Joash did what was right ( C ) in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 The high places, ( D ) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4 Joash said to the priests, “Collect ( E ) all the money that is brought as sacred offerings ( F ) to the temple of the Lord —the money collected in the census, ( G ) the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily ( H ) to the temple. 5 Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, then use it to repair ( I ) whatever damage is found in the temple.”
6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. 7 Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.” 8 The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.
9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the Lord . The priests who guarded the entrance ( J ) put into the chest all the money ( K ) that was brought to the temple of the Lord . 10 Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary ( L ) and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the Lord and put it into bags. 11 When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the Lord —the carpenters and builders, 12 the masons and stonecutters. ( M ) They purchased timber and blocks of dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the Lord , and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.
13 The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold ( N ) or silver for the temple of the Lord ; 14 it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. 15 They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. ( O ) 16 The money from the guilt offerings ( P ) and sin offerings [ c ] ( Q ) was not brought into the temple of the Lord ; it belonged ( R ) to the priests.
17 About this time Hazael ( S ) king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. 18 But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his predecessors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and of the royal palace, and he sent ( T ) them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew ( U ) from Jerusalem.
19 As for the other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20 His officials ( V ) conspired against him and assassinated ( W ) him at Beth Millo, ( X ) on the road down to Silla. 21 The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.
