II Kings 12

¹In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash reigned. And he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Zebiah from Beersheba.

²And Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord, during all the days that Jehoiada, the priest, taught him.

³Yet still he did not take away the high places. For the people were still immolating, and burning incense, in the high places.

⁴And 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:

⁵let 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.”

⁶And yet, even until the twenty-third year of king Jehoash, the priests did not repair the surfaces of the temple.

⁷And 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.”

⁸And so the priests were prohibited from accepting any more money from the people to repair the surfaces of the house.

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹And 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

¹²and 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.

¹³Yet 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.

¹⁴For it was given to those who were doing the work, so that the temple of the Lord might be repaired.

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶Yet 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.

¹⁷Then 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.

¹⁸For 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.

¹⁹Now 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?

²⁰Then his servants rose up and conspired among themselves. And they struck down Jehoash, at the house of Millo, on the descent of Silla.

²¹For 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.

II Kings 12

¹In 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.

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

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

⁴And Joas said to the priests: 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:

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

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

⁷And 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.

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

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And 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.

¹¹And 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,

¹²And 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.

¹³But 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:

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

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

¹⁶But the money for trespass, and the money for sins, they brought not into the temple of the Lord, because it was for the priests.

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

¹⁸Wherefore 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.

¹⁹And 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?

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

²¹For 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.