12
Joash Begins His Rule
1 Joash began to rule during Jehu’s seventh year as king of Israel. Joash ruled 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 For as long as he lived, Joash did what the LORD considered right. He did what Jehoiada the priest taught him. 3 But he did not destroy the high places. The people still made sacrifices and burned incense at those places of worship.
Joash Orders the Temple Repaired
4-5 Joash said to the priests, “There is much money in the LORD’S Temple. People have given things to the Temple and have paid the Temple tax when they were counted. And they have given money simply because they wanted to. You priests should take that money and repair the LORD’S Temple. Each priest should use the money he gets from the people he serves. He should use that money to repair the damage to the Temple.”
6 In the 23rd year that Joash was king, the priests still had not repaired the Temple, 7 so King Joash called for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests. Joash said to them, “Why haven’t you repaired the Temple? Stop taking money from the people you serve. That money must be used to repair the Temple.”
8 The priests agreed to stop taking money from the people, but they also decided not to repair the Temple. 9 So Jehoiada the priest took a box and made a hole in the top of it. Then he put the box on the south side of the altar. This box was by the door where people came into the LORD’S Temple. Some of the priests were there to guard this doorway.* They took the money that people brought for the LORD’S temple and put it into this box.
10 Whenever the king’s secretary and the high priest saw that the box was full, they counted all the money that had been given for the LORD’S Temple and put it in bags. 11 Then they paid the men who were in charge of the work on the LORD’S Temple. They paid the carpenters and other builders who worked on the LORD’S Temple. 12 They used that money to pay the stoneworkers and stonecutters, and they used it to buy timber, cut stone, and everything else to repair the LORD’S Temple.
13-14 People gave money for the LORD’S Temple, but the priests could not use this money to make silver cups, snuffers, basins, trumpets, or any of the gold and silver dishes that were to be used inside the LORD’S temple. This money was used only to pay the workers who repaired the LORD’S Temple. 15 Those who were in charge of paying the workers did not have to give a report of how they spent the money, because they could be trusted.
16 People gave money when they offered guilt offerings and sin offerings, but that money was not used for the LORD’S temple. It belonged to the priests.
Joash Saves Jerusalem From Hazael
17 Hazael was the king of Aram. He went to fight against the city of Gath and defeated it. Then he made plans to go fight against Jerusalem.
18 Joash† and his ancestors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah—had all been kings of Judah. They had given many things to the LORD that were kept in his Temple. Joash gathered all these things and all the gold that was stored in the Temple and in his palace. He sent all this treasure to King Hazael of Aram, who then commanded his army to leave Jerusalem.
The Death of Joash
19 All the great things that Joash did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah.
20 Joash’s officers made plans against him. They killed Joash at the house of Millo on the road that goes down to Silla. 21 Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer were Joash’s officers. These men killed Joash.
The people buried Joash with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Amaziah became the new king after him.
* 12:9 doorway Literally, “threshold.” † 12:18 Joash Or “Jehoash,” the long form of the name “Joash.”