2Kings 12

Joash Repairs the Temple

Joash began to rule over Judah in the seventh year of King Jehu's reign in Israel. He reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba.H7651H8141H3058H3060H4427H705H8141H4427H3389H517H8034H6645H8842All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.H3060H6213H3477H5869H3068H3117H3077H3548H33843Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.H1116H5493H5971H2076H6999H11164One day King Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money brought as a sacred offering to the LORD's Temple, whether it is a regular assessment, a payment of vows, or a voluntary gift.H3060H559H3548H3701H6944H935H1004H3068H3701H376H5674H3701H5315H6187H3701H5927H376H3820H935H1004H30685Let the priests take some of that money to pay for whatever repairs are needed at the Temple."H3548H3947H376H4378H2388H919H1004H919H46726But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign, the priests still had not repaired the Temple.H7969H8141H6242H8141H4428H3060H3548H2388H919H10047So King Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, "Why haven't you repaired the Temple? Don't use any more money for your own needs. From now on, it must all be spent on Temple repairs."H4428H3060H7121H3077H3548H3548H559H2388H919H1004H3947H3701H4378H5414H919H10048So the priests agreed not to accept any more money from the people, and they also agreed to let others take responsibility for repairing the Temple.H3548H225H3947H1115H3701H5971H1115H2388H919H10049Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people's contributions into the chest.H3077H3548H3947H259H727H5344H2356H1817H5414H681H4196H3225H376H935H1004H3068H3548H8104H5592H5414H3701H935H1004H306810Whenever the chest became full, the court secretary and the high priest counted the money that had been brought to the LORD's Temple and put it into bags.H7200H7227H3701H727H4428H5608H1419H3548H5927H6696H4487H3701H4672H1004H306811Then they gave the money to the construction supervisors, who used it to pay the people working on the LORD's Temple—the carpenters, the builders,H5414H3701H8505H3027H6213H4399H6485H6485H1004H3068H3318H2796H6086H1129H6213H1004H306812the masons, and the stonecutters. They also used the money to buy the timber and the finished stone needed for repairing the LORD's Temple, and they paid any other expenses related to the Temple's restoration.H1443H2672H68H7069H6086H4274H68H2388H919H1004H3068H3318H1004H239413The money brought to the Temple was not used for making silver bowls, lamp snuffers, basins, trumpets, or other articles of gold or silver for the Temple of the LORD.H6213H1004H3068H5592H3701H4212H4219H2689H3627H2091H3627H3701H3701H935H1004H306814It was paid to the workmen, who used it for the Temple repairs.H5414H4399H6213H2388H1004H306815No accounting of this money was required from the construction supervisors, because they were honest and trustworthy men.H2803H582H3027H5414H3701H5414H4399H6213H53016However, the money that was contributed for guilt offerings and sin offerings was not brought into the LORD's Temple. It was given to the priests for their own use.H817H3701H2403H3701H935H1004H3068H3548

The End of Joash’s Reign

17About this time King Hazael of Aram went to war against Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.H2371H4428H758H5927H3898H1661H3920H2371H7760H6440H5927H338918King Joash collected all the sacred objects that Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the previous kings of Judah, had dedicated, along with what he himself had dedicated. He sent them all to Hazael, along with all the gold in the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace. So Hazael called off his attack on Jerusalem.H3060H4428H3063H3947H6944H3092H3088H274H1H4428H3063H6942H6944H2091H4672H214H1004H3068H4428H1004H7971H2371H4428H758H5927H338919The rest of the events in Joash's reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H3101H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H306320Joash's officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla.H5650H6965H7194H7195H5221H3101H1004H4407H1037H3381H553821The assassins were Jozacar

son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer—both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king.H3108H1121H8100H3075H1121H7763H5650H5221H4191H6912H1H5892H1732H558H1121H4427