2 Kings 12
12
Joash Begins His Rule
1Joash 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. 2For as long as he lived, Joash did what the Lord considered right. He did what Jehoiada the priest taught him. 3But 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
4-5Joash 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.”
6In the 23rd year that Joash was king, the priests still had not repaired the Temple, 7so 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.”
8The priests agreed to stop taking money from the people, but they also decided not to repair the Temple. 9So 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.#12:9 doorway Literally, “threshold.” They took the money that people brought for the Lord’s temple and put it into this box.
10Whenever 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. 11Then 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. 12They 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.
13-14People 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. 15Those 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.
16People 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
17Hazael 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.
18Joash#12:18 Joash Or “Jehoash,” the long form of the name “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
19All the great things that Joash did are written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah.
20Joash’s officers made plans against him. They killed Joash at the house of Millo on the road that goes down to Silla. 21Jozabad 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.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Kings 12
12
King Joash of Judah
(2 Chr 24.1–16)
1In the seventh year of the reign of King Jehu of Israel, Joash became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother was Zibiah from the city of Beersheba. 2Throughout his life he did what pleased the LORD, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3However, the pagan places of worship were not destroyed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4 #
Ex 30.11–16
Joash called the priests and ordered them to save up the money paid in connection with the sacrifices in the Temple, both the dues paid for the regular sacrifices and the money given as freewill gifts. 5Each priest was to be responsible for the money brought by those he served, and the money was to be used to repair the Temple, as needed.
6But by the 23rd year of Joash's reign the priests still had not made any repairs to the Temple. 7So he called in Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren't you repairing the Temple? From now on you are not to keep the money you receive; you must hand it over, so that the repairs can be made.” 8The priests agreed to this and also agreed not to make the repairs in the Temple.
9Then Jehoiada took a box, made a hole in the lid, and placed the box by the altar, on the right side as one enters the Temple. The priests on duty at the entrance put in the box all the money given by the worshippers. 10Whenever there was a large amount of money in the box, the royal secretary and the High Priest would come, melt down the silver, and weigh it.#12.10 melt down the silver, and weigh it; or count the money, and tie it up in bags. 11After recording the exact amount, they would hand the silver over to the men in charge of the work in the Temple, and these would pay the carpenters, the builders, 12the masons, and the stonecutters, buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs, and pay all other necessary expenses. 13None of the money, however, was used to pay for making silver cups, bowls, trumpets, or tools for tending the lamps, or any other article of silver or of gold. 14It was all used to pay the workers and to buy the materials used in the repairs. 15#2 Kgs 22.7The men in charge of the work were thoroughly honest, so there was no need to require them to account for the funds. 16#Lev 7.7The money given for the repayment offerings and for the offerings for sin was not deposited in the box; it belonged to the priests.
17At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked the city of Gath and conquered it; then he decided to attack Jerusalem. 18King Joash of Judah took all the offerings that his predecessors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah had dedicated to the LORD, added to them his own offerings and all the gold in the treasuries of the Temple and the palace, and sent them all as a gift to King Hazael, who then led his army away from Jerusalem.
19Everything else that King Joash did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah.
20-21King Joash's officials plotted against him, and two of them, Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer, killed him at the house built on the land that was filled in on the east side of Jerusalem, on the road that goes down to Silla. Joash was buried in the royal tombs in David's City, and his son Amaziah succeeded him as king.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.