Jehoash Repairs the Temple(A)

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, (B)Jehoash[a] became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days in which (C)Jehoiada the priest instructed him. But (D)the [b]high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

And Jehoash said to the priests, (E)“All the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of the Lord—each man’s (F)census[c] money, each man’s (G)assessment money—and all the money that [d]a man (H)purposes in his heart to bring into the house of the Lord, let the priests take it themselves, each from his constituency; and let them repair the [e]damages of the temple, wherever any dilapidation is found.”

Now it was so, by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, (I)that the priests had not repaired the damages of the temple. (J)So King Jehoash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests, and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damages of the temple? Now therefore, do not take more money from your constituency, but deliver it for repairing the damages of the temple.” And the priests agreed that they would neither receive more money from the people, nor repair the damages of the temple.

Then Jehoiada the priest took (K)a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord; and the priests who [f]kept the door put (L)there all the money brought into the house of the Lord. 10 So it was, whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s (M)scribe[g] and the high priest came up and [h]put it in bags, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord. 11 Then they gave the money, which had been apportioned, into the hands of 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 builders who worked on the house of the Lord, 12 and to masons and stonecutters, and for buying timber and hewn stone, to (N)repair the damage of the house of the Lord, and for all that was paid out to repair the temple. 13 However (O)there were not made for the house of the Lord basins of silver, trimmers, sprinkling-bowls, trumpets, any articles of gold or articles of silver, from the money brought into the house of the Lord. 14 But they gave that to the workmen, and they repaired the house of the Lord with it. 15 Moreover (P)they did not require an account from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be paid to workmen, for they dealt faithfully. 16 (Q)The money from the trespass offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord. (R)It belonged to the priests.

Hazael Threatens Jerusalem

17 (S)Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; then (T)Hazael set his face to [j]go up to Jerusalem. 18 And Jehoash king of Judah (U)took all the sacred things that his fathers, Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred things, and all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and in the king’s house, and sent them to Hazael king of Syria. Then he went away from Jerusalem.

Death of Joash(V)

19 Now the rest of the acts of [k]Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20 And (W)his servants arose and formed a conspiracy, and killed Joash in the house of [l]the Millo, which goes down to Silla. 21 For [m]Jozachar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of [n]Shomer, his servants, struck him. So he died, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David. Then (X)Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 12:1 Joash, 2 Kin. 11:2ff.
  2. 2 Kings 12:3 Places for pagan worship
  3. 2 Kings 12:4 Lit. the money coming over
  4. 2 Kings 12:4 any man’s heart prompts him to bring
  5. 2 Kings 12:5 Lit. breaches
  6. 2 Kings 12:9 guarded at the door
  7. 2 Kings 12:10 secretary
  8. 2 Kings 12:10 tied it up
  9. 2 Kings 12:11 Lit. weighed
  10. 2 Kings 12:17 Advance upon
  11. 2 Kings 12:19 Jehoash, vv. 1–18
  12. 2 Kings 12:20 Lit. The Landfill
  13. 2 Kings 12:21 Zabad, 2 Chr. 24:26
  14. 2 Kings 12:21 Shimrith, 2 Chr. 24:26

Joash Repairs the Temple(A)

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. Joash did what was right(C) in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places,(D) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

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. Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, then use it to repair(I) whatever damage is found in the temple.”

But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. 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.” The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.

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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-21 is numbered 12:2-22.
  2. 2 Kings 12:1 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash; also in verses 2, 4, 6, 7 and 18
  3. 2 Kings 12:16 Or purification offerings