II Kings

Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.

Jehoash began his reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

All his days Jehoash did what was pleasing to GOD, as the priest Jehoiada instructed him.

The shrines, however, were not removed; the people continued to sacrifice and offer at the shrines.

Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money, current money, brought into the House of GOD as sacred donations—any money that someone may pay asaany money that someone may pay as Or “any money for one’s being entered [in the census], or”; cf. Rashi and Exod. 30.11–16. the money equivalent of persons,bmoney equivalent of persons See Lev. 27.2–8. or any other money that someone may be minded to bring to the House of GOD—

let the priests receive it, each from his benefactor; they, in turn, shall make repairs on the House, wherever damage may be found.”

But in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, [it was found that] the priests had not made the repairs on the House.

So King Jehoash summoned the priest Jehoiada and the other priests and said to them, “Why have you not kept the House in repair? Now do not accept money from your benefactors anymore, but have it donated for the repair of the House.”

The priests agreed that they would neither accept money from the people nor make repairs on the House.

And the priest Jehoiada took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it at the right side of the altar as one entered the House of GOD, and the priestly guards of the threshold deposited there all the money that was brought into the House of GOD.

Whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the royal scribe and the high priest would come up and put the money accumulated in the House of GOD into bags, and they would count it.

Then they would deliver the money that was weighed outcthat was weighed out Meaning of Heb. uncertain. to the overseers of the work, who were in charge of the House of GOD. These, in turn, used to pay the carpenters and the laborers who worked on the House of GOD,

and the masons and the stonecutters. They also paid for wood and for quarried stone with which to make the repairs on the House of GOD, and for every other expenditure that had to be made in repairing the House.

However, no silver bowls and no snuffers, basins, or trumpets—no vessels of gold or silver—were made at the House of GOD from the money brought into the House of GOD;

this was given only to the overseers of the work for the repair of the House of GOD.

No check was kept on those to whom the money was delivered to pay the workers; for they dealt honestly.

Money brought as a reparation offering or as a purgation offeringdas a reparation offering or as a purgation offering See Lev. 5.15. was not deposited in the House of GOD; it went to the priests.

At that time, King Hazael of Aram came up and attacked Gath and captured it; and Hazael proceeded to march on Jerusalem.

Thereupon King Joash of Judah took all the objects that had been consecrated by his predecessors, Kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah of Judah, and by himself, and all the gold that there was in the treasuries of the Temple of GOD and in the royal palace, and he sent them to King Hazael of Aram, who then turned back from his march on Jerusalem.

The other events of Joash’s reign, and all his actions, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah.

His courtiers formed a conspiracy against Joash and assassinated him at Beth-millo that leads down to Silla.ethat leads down to Silla Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

The courtiers who assassinated him were Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David; and his son Amaziah succeeded him as king.