King Joash of Judah
(2 Chronicles 24.1-16)1 Joash became king of Judah in Jehu's seventh year as king of Israel, and he ruled 40 years from Jerusalem. His mother Zibiah was from the town of Beersheba.
2 Jehoiada the priest taught Joash what was right, and so for the rest of his life Joash obeyed the Lord. 3 But even Joash did not destroy the local shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.
4 One day, Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money that has been given to the Lord's temple, whether from taxes or gifts, 5 and use it to repair the temple whenever you see the need.”
6 But the priests never started repairing the temple. So in the twenty-third year of his rule, 7 Joash called for Jehoiada and the other priests and said, “Why aren't you using the money to repair the temple? Don't take any more money for yourselves. It is only to be used to pay for the repairs.” 8 The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money or be in charge of the temple repairs.
9 Jehoiada found a wooden box; he cut a hole in the top of it and set it on the right side of the altar where people went into the temple. Whenever someone gave money to the temple, the priests guarding the entrance would put it into this box. 10 When the box was full of money, the king's secretary and the chief priest would count the money and put it in bags. 11 Then they would give it to the men supervising the repairs to the temple. Some of the money was used to pay the builders, the woodworkers, 12 the stonecutters, and the men who built the walls. And some was used to buy wood and stone and to pay any other costs for repairing the temple.
13 While the repairs were being made, the money that was given to the temple was not used to make silver bowls, lamp snuffers, small sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or anything gold or silver for the temple. 14 It went only to pay for repairs. 15 The men in charge were honest, so no one had to keep track of the money.
16 The fines that had to be paid along with the sacrifices to make things right and the sacrifices for sin did not go to the temple. This money belonged only to the priests.
17 About the same time, King Hazael of Syria attacked the town of Gath and captured it. Next, he decided to attack Jerusalem. 18 So Joash collected everything he and his ancestors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah had dedicated to the Lord, as well as the gold in the storage rooms in the temple and palace. He sent it all to Hazael as a gift, and when Hazael received it, he ordered his troops to leave Jerusalem.
19 Everything else Joash did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 20-21 At the end of his rule, some of his officers rebelled against him. Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him in a building where the land was filled in on the east side of Jerusalem, near the road to Silla. Joash was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Amaziah became king.
1 In the seuenth yere of Iehu Iehoash began to reigne, and reigned fourty yeres in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2 And Iehoash did that which was good in the sight of the Lord all his time that Iehoiada the Priest taught him. 3 But the hie places were not taken away: for the people offred yet and burnt incense in the hie places. 4 And Iehoash sayde to the Priestes, All the siluer of dedicate things that bee brought to the house of the Lord, that is, the money of them that are vnder the count, the money that euery man is set at, and all the money that one offereth willingly, and bringeth into the house of the Lord, 5 Let the Priestes take it to them, euery man of his acquaintance: and they shall repaire the broken places of the house, wheresoeuer any decay is founde. 6 Yet in the three and twentieth yeere of King Iehoash the Priestes had not mended that which was decayed in the Temple. 7 Then King Iehoash called for Iehoiada the Priest, and the other Priestes, and sayd vnto them, Why repaire yee not the ruines of the Temple? nowe therefore receiue no more money of your acquaintance, except yee deliuer it to repaire the ruines of the Temple. 8 So the Priestes consented to receiue no more money of the people, neither to repaire the decayed places of the Temple. 9 Then Iehoiada the Priest tooke a chest and bored an hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side, as euery man commeth into the Temple of the Lord. And the Priestes that kept the doore, put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 10 And when they sawe there was much money in the chest, the Kinges Secretarie came vp and the hie Priest, and put it vp after that they had tolde the money that was found in the house of the Lord, 11 And they gaue the money made readie into the handes of them, that vndertooke the worke, and that had the ouersight of the house of the Lord; and they payed it out to the carpenters and builders that wrought vpon the house of the Lord, 12 And to the masons and hewers of stone, and to bye timber and hewed stone, to repayre that was decayed in the house of the Lord, and for all that which was layed out for the reparation of the Temple. 13 Howbeit there was not made for the house of the Lord bowles of siluer, instruments of musicke, basons, trumpets, nor any vessels of golde, or vessels of siluer of the money that was brought into the house of the Lord. 14 But they gaue it to the workemen, which repayred therewith the house of the Lord. 15 Moreouer, they reckoned not with the men, into whose handes they deliuered that money to be bestowed on workemen: for they dealt faithfully. 16 The money of the trespasse offring and the money of ye sinne offrings was not brought into the house of the Lord: for it was the Priests. 17 Then came vp Hazael King of Aram, and fought against Gath and tooke it, and Hazael set his face to goe vp to Ierusalem. 18 And Iehoash King of Iudah tooke all the halowed thinges that Iehoshaphat, and Iehoram, and Ahaziah his fathers Kings of Iudah had dedicated, and that he himselfe had dedicated, and all the golde that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord and in the Kings house, and sent it to Hazael King of Aram, and he departed from Ierusalem. 19 Concerning the rest of the acts of Ioash and all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? 20 And his seruants arose and wrought treason, and slewe Ioash in the house of Millo, when he came downe to Silla: 21 Euen Iozachar the sonne of Shimeath, and Iehozabad the sonne of Shomer his seruants smote him, and he dyed: and they buried him with his fathers in the citie of Dauid. And Amaziah his sonne reigned in his stead.