2 Kings 12

1 In the seventh year of Jehu's rule, Jehoash became king; and he was ruling for forty years in Jerusalem; his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.

In the seventh year of Jehu Joas began to reign: and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Sebia of Bersabee.

2 Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all his days, because he was guided by the teaching of Jehoiada the priest.

And Joas did that which was right before the Lord all the days that Joiada the priest taught him.

3 But the high places were not taken away; the people went on making offerings and burning them in the high places.

But yet he took not away the high places: for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the holy things, which comes into the house of the Lord, (the amount fixed for every man's payment, ) and all the money given by any man freely from the impulse of his heart,

And Joas said to the priests: O All the money of the sanctified things, which is brought into the temple of the Lord by those that pass, which is offered for the price of a soul, and which of their own accord, and of their own free heart they bring into the temple of the Lord:

5 Let the priests take, every man from his friends and neighbours, to make good what is damaged in the house, wherever it is to be seen.

Let the priests take it according to their order, and repair the house, wheresoever they shall see any thing that wanteth repairing.

6 But in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had not made good the damaged parts of the house.

Now till the three and twentieth year of king Joas, the priests did not make the repairs of the temple.

7 Then King Jehoash sent for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said to them, Why have you not made good what is damaged in the house? now take no more money from your neighbours, but give it for the building up of the house.

And king Joas called Joiada the high priest and the priests, saying to them: Why do you not repair the temple? Take you therefore money no more according to your order, but restore it for the repairing of the temple.

8 So the priests made an agreement to take no more money from the people, and not to make good what was damaged in the house.

And the priests were forbidden to take any more money of the people, and to make the repairs of the house.

9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and making a hole in the cover of it, put it by the altar, on the right side when one comes into the house of the Lord; and the priests who kept the door put in it regularly all the money which was taken into the house of the Lord.

And Joiada the high priest took a chest and bored a hole in the top, and set it by the altar at the right hand of them that came into the house of the Lord, and the priests that kept the doors put therein all the money that was brought to the temple of the Lord.

10 And when they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's scribe and the high priest came and put it in bags, noting the amount of all the money there was in the house of the Lord.

And when they saw that there was very much money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and poured it out, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord:

11 And the money which was measured out they gave regularly to those who were responsible for overseeing the work, and these gave it in payment to the woodworkers and the builders who were working on the house of the Lord,

And they gave it out by number and measure into the hands of them that were over the builders of the house of the Lord: and they laid it out to the carpenters, and the masons that wrought in the house of the Lord,

12 And to the wall-builders and the stone-cutters, and to get wood and cut stone for building up the broken parts of the house of the Lord, and for everything needed to put the house in good order.

And made the repairs: and to them that cut stones, and to buy timber, and stones, to be hewed, that the repairs of the house of the Lord might be completely finished, and wheresoever there was need of expenses to uphold the house.

13 But the money was not used for making silver cups or scissors or basins or wind-instruments or any vessels of gold or silver for the house of the Lord;

But there were not made of the same money for the temple of the Lord, bowls, or fleshhooks, or censers, or trumpets, or any vessel of gold and silver, of the money that was brought into the temple of the Lord.

14 But it was all given to the workmen who were building up the house.

For it was given to them that did the work, that the temple of the Lord might be repaired.

15 And they did not get any statement of accounts from the men to whom the money was given for the workmen, for they made use of it with good faith.

And they reckoned not with the men that received the money to distribute it to the workmen, but they bestowed it faithfully.

16 The money of the offerings for error and the sin-offerings was not taken into the house of the Lord; it was the priests'.

But the money for trespass, and the money for sins, they brought not into the temple of the Lord, because it was for the priests.

17 Then Hazael, king of Aram, went up against Gath and took it; and his purpose was to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Geth, and took it and set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

18 Then Jehoash, king of Judah, took all the holy things which Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had given to the Lord, together with the things he himself had given, and all the gold in the Temple store and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael, king of Aram; and he went away from Jerusalem.

Wherefore Joas king of Juda took all the sanctified things, which Josaphat, and Joram, and Ochozias his fathers the kings of Juda had dedicated to holy uses, and which he himself had offered: and all the silver that could be found in the treasures of the temple of the Lord, and in the king’s palace: and sent it to Hazael king of Syria, and he went off from Jerusalem.

19 Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all he did, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel?

And the rest of the acts of Joas, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?

20 And his servants made a secret design and put Joash to death at the house of Millo on the way down to Silla.

And his servants arose, and conspired among themselves, and slew Joas in the house of Mello in the descent of Sella.

21 And Jozacar, the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of Shomer, his servants, came to him and put him to death; and they put him into the earth with his fathers in the town of David; and Amaziah his son became king in his place.

For Josachar the son of Semaath, and Jozabad the son of Somer his servant struck him, and he died: and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amasias his son reigned in his stead.