Kings IV 12

1 Joas began to reign in the seventh year of Ju, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name [was] Sabia of Bersabee.

In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash reigned. And he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zebiah from Beersheba.

2 And Joas did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days that Jodae the priest instructed him.

And Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord, during all the days that Jehoiada, the priest, taught him.

3 Only there were not [any] of the high places removed, and the people still sacrificed there, and burned incense on the high places.

Yet still he did not take away the high places. For the people were still immolating, and burning incense, in the high places.

4 And Joas said to the priests, [As for] all the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money of valuation, [as] each man brings the money of valuation, all the money which any man may feel disposed to bring into the house of the Lord,

And Jehoash said to the priests: “All of the money for the holy things, which has been brought into the temple of the Lord from those who pass by, which is offered for the price of a soul, and which they bring into the temple of the Lord willingly, from their own free heart:

5 let the priests take it to themselves, every man from [the proceeds of] his sale: and they shall repair the breaches of the house in all [places] wherever a breach shall be found.

let the priests, according to their ranks, take and use it in order to repair the surfaces of the house, wherever they see anything in need of repair.”

6 And it came to pass in the twenty-third year of king Joas the priests [had] not repaired the breaches of the house.

And yet, even until the twenty-third year of king Jehoash, the priests did not repair the surfaces of the temple.

7 And king Joas called Jodae the priest, and the [other] priests, and said to them, Why have you not repaired the breaches of the house? now then receive no [more] money from your sales, for you shall give it to [repair the] breaches of the house.

And king Jehoash called the high priest, Jehoiada, and the priests, saying to them: “Why have you not repaired the surfaces of the temple? Therefore, you may no longer accept money according to your ranks. Instead, return it in order that the temple may be repaired.”

8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, and not to repair the breaches of the house.

And so the priests were prohibited from accepting any more money from the people to repair the surfaces of the house.

9 And Jodae the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it by the altar in the house of a man [belonging to] the house of the Lord, and the priests that kept the door put [therein] all the money that was found in the house of the Lord.

And the high priest, Jehoiada, took a certain chest, and he opened a hole in the top, and he placed it beside the altar, to the right of those who were entering the house of the Lord. And the priests who kept the doors put all the money in it which was being brought into the temple of the Lord.

10 And it came to pass, when they saw that [there was] much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest went up, and they tied up and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.

And when they saw that there was a great amount of money in the chest, the scribe of the king and the high priest went up and poured it out. And they counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.

11 And they gave the money that had been collected into the hands of them that wrought the works, the overseers of the house of the Lord; and they gave it out to the carpenters and to the builders that wrought in the house of the Lord.

And they gave it out, by number and measure, to the hands of those who were over the masons of the house of the Lord. And they weighed it out to the carpenters and masons, to those who were working in the house of the Lord

12 And to the masons, and to the hewers of stone, to purchase timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of the Lord, for all that was spent on the house of the Lord to repair [it].

and restoring the surfaces, and to those who were cutting stones, and buying timber and stones to be cut, so that the repairs to the house of the Lord might be finished: for all that was needed toward the expenses in order to strengthen the house.

13 Only there were not to be made for the house of the Lord silver plates, studs, bowls, or trumpets, any vessel of gold or vessel of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord:

Yet truly, from the same money, they did not make for the temple of the Lord water pitchers, or small hooks, or censers, or trumpets, or any vessel of gold or silver, from the money that was brought into the temple of the Lord.

14 for they were to give it to the workmen, and they repaired therewith the house of the Lord.

For it was given to those who were doing the work, so that the temple of the Lord might be repaired.

15 Also they took no account of the men into whose hands they gave the money to give to the workmen, for they acted faithfully.

And they did not ration the money to the men who received it in order to distribute it to the artisans. Instead, they bestowed it with faith.

16 Money for a sin-offering, and money for a trespass-offering, whatever happened to be brought into the house of the Lord, went to the priests.

Yet truly, the money for offenses and the money for sins, they did not bring into the temple of the Lord, since it was for the priests.

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

Then Hazael, the king of Syria, ascended and fought against Gath, and he captured it. And he directed his face, so that he might ascend against Jerusalem.

18 And Joas king of Juda took all the holy things which Josaphat, and Joram, Ochozias, his fathers, and kings of Juda [had] consecrated, and what he had himself dedicated, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the Lord's house and the king's house, and he sent [them] to Azael king of Syria; and he went up from Jerusalem.

For this reason, Jehoash, the king of Judah, took all the sanctified things, which Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, the kings of Judah, had consecrated and which he himself had offered, and all the silver that could be found in the treasuries of the temple of the Lord and in the palace of the king, and he sent it to Hazael, the king of Syria. And so he withdrew from Jerusalem.

19 And the rest of the acts of Joas, and all that he did, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda?

Now the rest of the words of Jehoash, and all that he did, have these not been written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?

20 And his servants rose up and made a conspiracy, and struck Joas in the house of Mallo that is in Sela.

Then his servants rose up and conspired among themselves. And they struck down Jehoash, at the house of Millo, on the descent of Silla.

21 And Jezirchar the son of Jemuath, and Jezabuth Somer's son, his servants, struck him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amessias his son reigned in his stead.

For Jozacar, the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah, his son, reigned in his place.