1In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king and reigned 40 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, who was from Beer-sheba. 2Kg 11:2,21; 2Ch 24:1

2Throughout the time Jehoiada 2Kg 11:4,17 the priest instructed Mal 2:6-7 him, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight. Dt 12:25; 2Sm 8:15

3Yet the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. 1Kg 3:3; 2Kg 14:4; 15:35

4Then 2Ch 24:5-12 Joash said to the priests, “All the dedicated money brought to the Lord’s temple, 2Kg 22:4 census money, Ex 30:13-16 money from vows, Lv 27:2-28 and all money voluntarily given Ex 35:5 for the Lord’s temple,

5each priest is to take from his assessor Hb obscure and repair whatever damage to the temple is found.” Lit repair the breach of the house wherever there is found a breach 2Kg 22:5

6But by the twenty-third year 2Kg 11:21 of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damage Lit breach in 2Kg 12:5-12 to the temple. 2Ch 24:5

7So King Joash called Jehoiada 2Kg 11:4-6 the priest and the other priests and said, “Why haven’t you repaired the temple’s damage? Since you haven’t, don’t take any money from your assessors; instead, hand it over for the repair of the temple.”

8So the priests agreed they would not take money from the people and they would not repair the temple’s damage.

9Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, 2Ch 23:1; 24:8 bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the Lord’s temple; in it the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the Lord’s temple. Mk 12:41; Lk 21:1

10Whenever they saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king’s secretary 2Sm 8:17; 2Kg 19:2 and the high priest would go to the Lord’s temple and count the money found there and tie it up in bags. 2Ch 24:11

11Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those doing the work — those who oversaw the Lord’s temple. They in turn would pay it out to those working on the Lord’s temple — the carpenters, the builders,

12the masons, and the stonecutters — and would use it to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple 2Kg 22:5-6; 2Ch 24:11-12 and for all spending for temple repairs.

13However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silver 1Kg 7:48,50-51; 2Ch 24:14 were made for the Lord’s temple from the money brought into the temple.

14Instead, it was given to those doing the work, and they repaired the Lord’s temple with it.

15No accounting was required from the men who received the money to pay those doing the work, since they worked with integrity. 2Kg 22:7; 2Ch 34:12

16The money from the restitution offering and the sin offering was not brought to the Lord’s temple since it belonged to the priests. Lv 4:24,29; 5:15-18; 7:7

17At that time Hazael 1Kg 19:17; 2Kg 8:12; 10:32 king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem. 2Ch 24:23-27

18So King Joash of Judah took all the consecrated items that his ancestors — Judah’s kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah — had consecrated, along with his own consecrated items and all the gold found in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and in the king’s palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram. 2Kg 16:8; 18:15-16 Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

19The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings. 1Kg 22:45

20Joash’s servants conspired against him and killed him 2Kg 14:5 at Beth-millo Jdg 9:6 on the road that goes down to Silla.

21His servants Jozabad Some Hb mss, LXX read Jozacar ; 2Ch 24:26 reads Zabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died. 2Ch 24:26 Then they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place. 2Kg 14:1; 2Ch 24:27