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The Temple Repaired

12 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign; he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all his days because the priest Jehoiada instructed him. Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.(A)

Jehoash said to the priests, “All the silver offered as sacred donations that is brought into the house of the Lord—the census tax, personal redemption payments, and silver from voluntary offerings brought into the house of the Lord(B) let the priests receive from each of the donors, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.” But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had made no repairs on the house.(C) Therefore King Jehoash summoned the priest Jehoiada with the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore do not accept any more silver from your donors but hand it over for the repair of the house.”(D) So the priests agreed that they would neither accept more silver from the people nor repair the house.

Then the priest Jehoiada took a chest, made a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord; the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the silver that was brought into the house of the Lord.(E) 10 Whenever they saw that there was a great deal of silver in the chest, the king’s secretary and the high priest went up, cast the silver that was found in the house of the Lord into ingots, and counted it.(F) 11 They gave the silver that was weighed out into the hands of the workers who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; then they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord, 12 to the masons and the stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the Lord, as well as for any outlay for repairs of the house.(G) 13 But for the house of the Lord no basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold or of silver were made from the silver that was brought into the house of the Lord,(H) 14 for that was given to the workers who were repairing the house of the Lord with it. 15 They did not ask an accounting from those into whose hand they delivered the silver to pay out to the workers, for they dealt honestly.(I) 16 The silver from the guilt offerings and the silver from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.(J)

Hazael Threatens Jerusalem

17 At that time King Hazael of Aram went up, fought against Gath, and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem,(K) 18 King Jehoash of Judah took all the votive gifts that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his ancestors, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, as well as his own votive gifts, all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent these to King Hazael of Aram. Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.(L)

Death of Joash

19 Now the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? 20 His servants arose, devised a conspiracy, and killed Joash in the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla.(M) 21 It was Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. He was buried with his ancestors in the city of David; then his son Amaziah succeeded him.(N)

12 [a] ascending to the throne in the seventh year of the reign of[b] Jehu and then reigning for 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah from Beer-sheba. Jehoash did what the Lord considered to be right during the entire time when Jehoiada the priest was instructing him, except that the high places were not demolished, so the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense on the high places.

Jehoash Institutes Temple Repairs

Jehoash spoke to the priests about all of the proceeds[c] of the consecrated gifts that were being brought into the Lord’s Temple, cash from every man who was traveling through the area,[d] cash obtained by personal assessment,[e] and all the cash that came through voluntary gifts[f] into the Lord’s Temple:

“Let the priests get support for themselves from their own donors, and let them repair the Temple wherever a leak in need of repair is discovered.”

But 23 years into the reign of King Jehoash, the priests still had not repaired the leaks in the Temple. So King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, along with other[g] priests, and asked them, “Why haven’t you fixed the leaks in the Temple? Stop receiving donations from your acquaintances for repairing the leaks in the Temple.”

So the priests agreed to receive no more cash from the people, but they didn’t repair the leaks in the Temple, either. So Jehoiada the priest grabbed a chest, bored an opening in its lid, and placed it next to the altar, on the right side as one enters the Lord’s Temple. The priests who tended the entryway put all the money that was brought into the Lord’s Temple into the chest.[h] 10 As a result, whenever they noticed that there was a lot of money in the chest, the king’s secretary and the high priest went forward, put the money in bags, counted the money that had been given over to the Lord’s Temple, 11 and disbursed the cash directly into the hands of those who did the work and who were in charge of the oversight of the Lord’s Temple. They paid it to the carpenters and builders who worked on the Lord’s Temple, 12 to masons and stonecutters, and for procurement of timber and quarried stone for making repairs to the Lord’s Temple, and for all outlays needed for repairs of the Temple.

13 But no provision was included for the Lord’s Temple from the money that was brought into the Lord’s Temple for silver basins, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels made of gold or silver, 14 because that money had been allocated to the workmen who were repairing the Lord’s Temple. 15 Furthermore, they required no accounting from the men into whose hand they had paid the money to do the work, because the workers acted in good faith. 16 The money from the guilt offerings and[i] from the sin offerings was not brought into the Lord’s Temple, because it was allocated to the priests.

Hazael Attacks Israel

17 Later, King Hazael of Aram invaded and attacked Gath, captured it, and then set out to approach Jerusalem. 18 So King Jehoash of Judah took all of the sacred things that his ancestors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with his own dedicated things, and all the gold that could be located within the treasure vaults of the Lord’s Temple and in the king’s palace, and paid off King Hazael of Aram. Then Hazael[j] left Jerusalem.

Amaziah Succeeds Jehoash (Joash)(A)

19 Now the rest of the Joash’s activities—everything he did—are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? 20 His servants rose up in rebellion, formed a conspiracy, and assassinated Joash in the palace at the terrace ramparts[k] while he was on his way down to Silla. 21 Shimeath’s son Jozacar and Shomer’s son Jehozabad, his servants, attacked him and he died. They buried him alongside his ancestors in the City of David, and his son Amaziah became king to replace him.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 12:1 This vs. is 12:2 in MT, and so throughout the chapter
  2. 2 Kings 12:1 The Heb. lacks the reign of
  3. 2 Kings 12:4 Lit. silver; i.e., money from conversion of gifts into cash
  4. 2 Kings 12:4 The Heb. lacks the area
  5. 2 Kings 12:4 Lit. cash from souls to their appointment
  6. 2 Kings 12:4 Lit. through the heart of a man
  7. 2 Kings 12:7 Lit. the
  8. 2 Kings 12:9 Lit. into it
  9. 2 Kings 12:16 Lit. and the money
  10. 2 Kings 12:18 Lit. he
  11. 2 Kings 12:20 Lit. the Millo, fortified areas of ancient Jerusalem with terraces and retaining walls