Joash Repairs the Temple
1
In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem
forty years. His moter's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
2
Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada
the priest instructed him.
3
The high places, however, were not removed;
the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4
Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money that is brought as
sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD - the money collected in the census,
the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily
to the temple.
5
Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers,
and let it be used to repai whatever damag 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 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 put into the chest
all the money that was brought to the temple of the LORD.
10
Whenever they saw a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretary
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 builders.
12
the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone
for the repair of the tample 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
or silver for the temple of the LORD;
14
it was paid to the workmen, 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.
16
The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought
into the temple of the LORD; it belonged to the priests.
17
About this time Hazael king of Aram went up and attacked Gath
and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.
18
But Joash king of Judah tookall the sacred objects dedicated by
his fathers - Jehoshaohat, 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 the royal palace,
and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew 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 conspired against him and assassinated him at Beth Millo,
on the road down to Silla.
21
The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath
and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He dies and was buried with
his fathers in the city of David. And Amazah his son succeeed him as king.
