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Jehoash Reigns over Judah

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, (A)Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Jehoash did what was right in the sight of Yahweh all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Only (B)the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Jehoash Repairs the House of Yahweh

Then Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the sacred things (C)which is brought into the house of Yahweh, both (D)the money for each [a]numbered man—the money from each person’s assessment in the censusand all the money which any man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of Yahweh, let the priests take it for themselves, each from his acquaintance; and they shall repair the [b]damages of the house wherever any damage may be found.”

Now it happened that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash (E)the priests had not repaired the damages of the house. Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests and said to them, “Why do you not repair the damages of the house? So now, take no more money from your acquaintances, but give it over to pay for the damages of the house.” So the priests agreed that they would take no more money from the people, nor repair the damages of the house.

But (F)Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid and put it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of Yahweh; and the priests who kept watch over the threshold put in it all the money which was brought into the house of Yahweh. 10 Now it happened that when they saw that there was much money in the chest, (G)the king’s scribe and the high priest came up and tied it in bags and counted the money which was found in the house of Yahweh. 11 And they gave the money, which was weighed out, into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of Yahweh; and they [c]paid it out to the craftsmen of wood and the builders who worked on the house of Yahweh; 12 and (H)to the masons and the hewers of stone, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the damages to the house of Yahweh, and for all that [d]was laid out for the house to repair it. 13 But (I)there were not made for the house of Yahweh (J)silver cups, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver from the money which was brought into the house of Yahweh; 14 for they gave that to those who did the work, and with it they repaired the house of Yahweh. 15 Moreover, (K)they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they paid the money in order to pay those who did the work, for they were doing it faithfully. 16 The (L)money from the guilt offerings and (M)the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of Yahweh; (N)it was for the priests.

17 Then (O)Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and (P)Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18 (Q)And Jehoash king of Judah took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had set apart as holy, and (R)his own holy things and all the gold that was found among the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and of the king’s house, and sent them to Hazael king of Aram. Then he went away from Jerusalem.

Amaziah Reigns over Judah

19 Now 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 (S)And his servants arose and made a conspiracy and (T)struck down Joash at (U)the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla. 21 Now 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 (W)Amaziah his son became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 12:4 Lit passed over, cf. Ex 30:14
  2. 2 Kings 12:5 Lit breaches, so through v 12
  3. 2 Kings 12:11 Lit brought
  4. 2 Kings 12:12 Lit went out

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king and reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, who was from Beer-sheba.(A) Throughout the time Jehoiada(B) the priest instructed(C) him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight.(D) Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.(E)

Repairing the Temple

Then(F) Joash said to the priests, “All the dedicated money brought to the Lord’s temple,(G) census money,(H) money from vows,(I) and all money voluntarily given(J) for the Lord’s temple, each priest is to take from his assessor[a] and repair whatever damage to the temple is found.”[b](K)

But by the twenty-third year(L) of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damage[c] to the temple.(M) So King Joash called Jehoiada(N) the priest and the other priests and said, “Why haven’t you repaired the temple’s damage? Since you haven’t, don’t take any money from your assessors; instead, hand it over for the repair of the temple.” So the priests agreed they would not take money from the people and they would not repair the temple’s damage.

Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest,(O) bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the Lord’s temple; in it the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the Lord’s temple.(P) 10 Whenever they saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king’s secretary(Q) and the high priest would go to the Lord’s temple and count the money found there and tie it up in bags.(R) 11 Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those doing the work—those who oversaw the Lord’s temple. They in turn would pay it out to those working on the Lord’s temple—the carpenters, the builders, 12 the masons, and the stonecutters—and would use it to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple(S) and for all spending for temple repairs.

13 However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver(T) were made for the Lord’s temple from the money brought into the temple. 14 Instead, it was given to those doing the work, and they repaired the Lord’s temple with it. 15 No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay those doing the work, since they worked with integrity.(U) 16 The money from the restitution offering and the sin offering was not brought to the Lord’s temple since it belonged to the priests.(V)

Aramean Invasion of Judah

17 At that time Hazael(W) king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.(X) 18 So King Joash of Judah took all the consecrated items that his ancestors—Judah’s kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah—had consecrated, along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and in the king’s palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram.(Y) Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

Joash Assassinated

19 The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(Z) 20 Joash’s servants conspired against him and killed him(AA) at Beth-millo(AB) on the road that goes down to Silla. 21 His servants Jozabad[d] son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died.(AC) Then they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.(AD)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 12:5 Hb obscure
  2. 2 Kings 12:5 Lit repair the breach of the house wherever there is found a breach
  3. 2 Kings 12:6 Lit breach in 2Kg 12:5-12
  4. 2 Kings 12:21 Some Hb mss, LXX read Jozacar; 2Ch 24:26 reads Zabad