Jehoash (Joash) Reigns over Judah

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. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days that Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only (B)the high places did not end; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

The Temple to Be Repaired

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, 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.”

But it came about that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, (E)the priests had not repaired any damage to the house. 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.” The priests then agreed that they would not take any more money from the people, nor would they [g]repair damage to the house.

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.

Joash (Jehoash) Succeeded by Amaziah in Judah

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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 12:1 Jehoash is another spelling of Joash in Heb
  2. 2 Kings 12:4 Lit which it comes into...to bring
  3. 2 Kings 12:5 Or perhaps assessor
  4. 2 Kings 12:5 Lit a breach, and so through v 12
  5. 2 Kings 12:5 Lit a breach, and so through v 12
  6. 2 Kings 12:7 See note 1 v 5
  7. 2 Kings 12:8 I.e., do or oversee repairs themselves
  8. 2 Kings 12:9 I.e., at the king’s command; see 2 Chr 24:8
  9. 2 Kings 12:11 Lit brought
  10. 2 Kings 12:12 Lit went out
  11. 2 Kings 12:17 Lit set his face to go

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