1 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.
2 Throughout the time Jehoiadathe priest instructedhim, Joash did what was right in theLord’s sight.
3 Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.
Repairing the Temple
4 ThenJoash said to the priests, “All the dedicated money brought to theLord’s temple,census money,money from vows,and all money voluntarily givenfor theLord’s temple,
5 each priest is to take from his assessorand repair whatever damage to the temple is found.”
6 But by the twenty-third yearof the reign of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damageto the temple.
7 So King Joash called Jehoiadathe 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.”
8 So the priests agreed they would not take money from the people and they would not repair the temple’s damage.
9 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest,bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters theLord’s temple; in it the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into theLord’s temple.
10 Whenever they saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king’s secretaryand the high priest would go to theLord’s temple and count the money found there and tie it up in bags.
11 Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those doing the work — those who oversaw theLord’s temple. They in turn would pay it out to those working on theLord’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 theLord’s templeand for all spending for temple repairs.
13 However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silverwere made for theLord’s temple from the money brought into the temple.
14 Instead, it was given to those doing the work, and they repaired theLord’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.
16 The money from the restitution offering and the sin offering was not brought to theLord’s temple since it belonged to the priests.
Aramean Invasion of Judah
17 At that time Hazaelking of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.
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 theLord’s temple and in the king’s palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram.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.
20 Joash’s servants conspired against him and killed himat Beth-milloon the road that goes down to Silla.
21 His servants Jozabadson of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died.Then they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.
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