King Joash of Judah

(2 Chronicles 24.1-16)

1In 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. 2Throughout his life he did what pleased the Lord, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3However, 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. 5Each 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.

6But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign the priests still had not made any repairs in the Temple. 7So 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.” 8The priests agreed to this and also agreed not to make the repairs in the Temple.

9Then 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. 10Whenever 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.+ 11After 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, 12the masons, and the stone cutters, buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs, and pay all other necessary expenses. 13None 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. 14It 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.

17At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked the city of Gath and conquered it; then he decided to attack Jerusalem. 18King 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.

19Everything else that King Joash did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah.

20-21King 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.