Repairing the Temple

4Thenf Joash said to the priests, “All the dedicated money brought to the LORD’s temple,g census money,h money from vows,i and all money voluntarily givenj for the LORD’s temple, 5each priest is to take from his assessork and repair whatever damage to the temple is found.”l, m

6But by the twenty-third yearn of the reign of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the damageo to the temple.p 7So King Joash called Jehoiadaq 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,r 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.s 10Whenever they saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, the king’s secretaryt and the high priest would go to the LORD’s temple and count the money found there and tie it up in bags.u 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 templev and for all spending for temple repairs.

13However, no silver bowls, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, trumpets, or any articles of gold or silverw 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.x 16The money from the •restitution offering and the •sin offering was not brought to the LORD’s temple since it belonged to the priests.y

Aramean Invasion of Judah

17At that time Hazaelz king of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem.aa 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.ab Then Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

Joash Assassinated

19The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.ac 20Joash’s servants conspired against him and killed himad at Beth-milloae on the road that goes down to Silla. 21His servants Jozabadaf son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died.ag Then they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah became king in his place.ah