2 Kings 12

1 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.

Joash became king in the seventh year of the reign of Jehu, and he reigned in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

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

Joash did what was right in the Lord's sight during the years that Jehoiada the priest advised him.

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

Even so, the high places were not removed—the people went on sacrificing and presenting burnt offerings at these places.

4 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:

Joash told the priests, “Collect together all the money that is brought as holy offerings to the Lord's Temple, whether the census money, the money from individual vows, and the money brought as a voluntary donation to the Lord's Temple.

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

Let each priest receive the money from those who give, and use it to repair whatever damage is discovered in the Temple.”

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

But by the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, the priests still had not repaired the damage to the Temple.

7 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.

So King Joash called together Jehoiada and the other priests and asked, “Why haven't you repaired the damage in the Temple? Don't use any more money you're given for yourselves, instead hand it over to others to repair the Temple.”

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

The priests agreed not to receive any more money from the people, and that they wouldn't carry out the repairs to the Temple themselves.

9 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.

Jehoiada the priest took a large wooden box, cut a hole in its lid, and placed it on the right side of the altar next to the entrance to the Lord's Temple. There the priests who guarded the doorway put all the money brought into the Lord's Temple into the collection box.

10 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:

Whenever they saw there was a lot of money in the box, the king's secretary and the high priest would come, count the money brought into the Lord's Temple, and put it into bags.

11 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,

Then they weighed out the money and gave it to the supervisors of the work on the Lord's Temple. They paid the ones doing the work—the carpenters, builders,

12 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.

masons, and stonecutters. They also bought the timber and blocks of cut stone needed for the repair of the Lord's Temple, and paid all the other costs of restoring the Temple.

13 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.

However, the money collected for the Lord's Temple was not used for making silver basins, lamp trimmers, bowls, trumpets, or any items of gold or silver for the Lord's Temple.

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

It was used to pay the workers doing the repairs to the Lord's Temple.

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

No accounts were demanded from the men who received the money to pay the workers because they did everything honestly.

16 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.

The money from the guilt offerings and sin offerings was not collected for the Lord's Temple because it belonged to the priests.

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

Around this time Hazael, king of Aram, went and attacked Gath, and captured it. Then he marched to attack Jerusalem.

18 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.

So King Joash of Judah took all the holy objects dedicated by his forefathers Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah, along with all the items he had dedicated himself, and all the gold found in the treasuries of the Lord's Temple and the royal palace, and he sent everything to Hazael, king of Aram. So Hazael retreated from Jerusalem.

19 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?

The rest of what happened in Joash's reign and all that he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

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

His officials plotted against him and murdered him at Beth Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla.

21 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.

The officials who attacked and killed him were Jozacar, son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of Shomer. They buried him with his forefathers in the City of David. His son Amaziah succeeded him as king.