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Joash’s Reign(A)

12 Joash became king of Judah in Jehu’s seventh year as king of Israel, and he ·ruled [reigned] for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, and she was from Beersheba. Joash did ·what the Lord said was right [L right in the sight of the Lord] as long as Jehoiada the priest ·taught [instructed] him. But the ·places where gods were worshiped [L high places; C worship sites that became associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God] were not removed; the people still made sacrifices and burned incense there.

Joash Repairsthe Temple

Joash said to the priests, “Take all the money brought as offerings to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. This includes the money each person ·owes in taxes [is assessed] and the money ·each person promises [from personal vows] or ·brings freely [money brought voluntarily] to the Lord. Each priest will take the money from ·the people he serves [donors; or acquaintances; or the treasurers]. Then the priests must ·repair [restore] any damage they find in the ·Temple [L house].”

But by the twenty-third year Joash was king, the priests still had not ·repaired [restored] the ·Temple [L house]. So King Joash called for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why aren’t you ·repairing the damage of [restoring] the ·Temple [L house]? Don’t take any more money from ·the people you serve [donors; or acquaintances; or the treasurers], but hand over the money for the ·repair [restoration] of the ·Temple [L house].” The priests agreed not to take any more money from the people and not to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house] themselves.

Jehoiada the priest took a box and made a hole in the ·top of it [lid]. Then he put it by the altar, on the right side as the people came into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. The priests guarding the ·doorway [entrance; threshold] put all the money brought to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord into the box.

10 Each time the priests saw that the box was full of money, the king’s royal secretary and the high priest came. They counted the money that had been brought to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, and they put it into bags. 11 Next they weighed the money and gave it to the people in charge of the work on the ·Temple [L house]. With it they paid the carpenters and the builders who worked on the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, 12 as well as the ·bricklayers [masons] and stonecutters. They also used the money to buy timber and cut stone to ·repair the damage of [restore] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. It paid for ·everything [anything else that was used].

13 The money brought into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord was not used to make silver cups, ·wick trimmers [snuffers], bowls, trumpets, or gold or silver vessels. 14 They paid the money to the workers, who used it to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 15 They did not ·demand to know how the money was spent [require an accounting], because the workers were honest. 16 The money from the ·penalty [guilt] offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, because it belonged to the priests.

Joash Saves Jerusalem(B)

17 About this time Hazael king of Aram attacked Gath and captured it. Then he ·went [L set his face] to attack Jerusalem. 18 Joash king of Judah took all the ·holy things [sacred objects; votive gifts] ·given [dedicated] by his ·ancestors [fathers], the kings of Judah—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah. He also took his own ·holy things [sacred objects; votive gifts] as well as the gold that was found in the treasuries of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and the gold from the ·palace [L king’s house]. Joash sent all this treasure to Hazael king of Aram, who ·turned away [withdrew] from Jerusalem.

19 Everything else Joash did ·is [L is it not…?] written in the book of the ·history [chronicles; annals; 1:18] of the kings of Judah. 20 His officers ·made plans [conspired; plotted] against him and ·killed [assassinated] him at Beth Millo on the road down to Silla. 21 The officers who ·killed [assassinated] him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. Joash was buried with his ·ancestors [fathers] in the City of David [C Jerusalem], and Amaziah, his son, became king in his place.

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.

And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

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,

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.

But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

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.

And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.

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.