King Joash of Judah
(2 Chronicles 24.1-16)1 In the seventh year of the reign of King Jehu of Israel, Joash became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother was Zibiah from the city of Beersheba. 2 Throughout his life he did what pleased the Lord, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 However, the pagan places of worship were not destroyed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4 Joash called the priests and ordered them to save up the money paid in connection with the sacrifices in the Temple, both the dues paid for the regular sacrifices and the money given as freewill gifts. 5 Each priest was to be responsible for the money brought by those he served, and the money was to be used to repair the Temple, as needed.
6 But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign the priests still had not made any repairs in the Temple. 7 So he called in Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren't you repairing the Temple? From now on you are not to keep the money you receive; you must hand it over, so that the repairs can be made.” 8 The priests agreed to this and also agreed not to make the repairs in the Temple.
9 Then Jehoiada took a box, made a hole in the lid, and placed the box by the altar, on the right side as one enters the Temple. The priests on duty at the entrance put in the box all the money given by the worshipers. 10 Whenever there was a large amount of money in the box, the royal secretary and the High Priest would come, melt down the silver, and weigh it. 11 After recording the exact amount, they would hand the silver over to the men in charge of the work in the Temple, and these would pay the carpenters, the builders, 12 the masons, and the stone cutters, buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs, and pay all other necessary expenses. 13 None of the money, however, was used to pay for making silver cups, bowls, trumpets, or tools for tending the lamps, or any other article of silver or of gold. 14 It was all used to pay the workers and to buy the materials used in the repairs. 15 The men in charge of the work were thoroughly honest, so there was no need to require them to account for the funds. 16 The money given for the repayment offerings and for the offerings for sin was not deposited in the box; it belonged to the priests.
17 At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked the city of Gath and conquered it; then he decided to attack Jerusalem. 18 King Joash of Judah took all the offerings that his predecessors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah had dedicated to the Lord, added to them his own offerings and all the gold in the treasuries of the Temple and the palace, and sent them all as a gift to King Hazael, who then led his army away from Jerusalem.
19 Everything else that King Joash did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah.
20-21 King Joash's officials plotted against him, and two of them, Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer, killed him at the house built on the land that was filled in on the east side of Jerusalem, on the road that goes down to Silla. Joash was buried in the royal tombs in David's City, and his son Amaziah succeeded him as 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.