1
2Throughout his lifetime Jehoash did what the
3But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
4Jehoash said to the priests, “I place at your disposal all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the
5The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.”
6By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple.
7So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest along with the other priests, and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the temple? Now, take no more silver from your treasurers unless you intend to use it to repair the damage.”
8The priests agreed not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs.
9Jehoiada the priest took a chest and drilled a hole in its lid. He placed it on the right side of the altar near the entrance of the
10When they saw the chest was full of silver, the royal secretary and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the
11They would then hand over the silver that had been weighed to the construction foremen assigned to the
12as well as masons and stonecutters. They bought wood and chiseled stone to repair the damage to the
13The silver brought to the
14It was handed over to the foremen who used it to repair the
15They did not audit the treasurers who disbursed the funds to the foremen, for they were honest.
16(The silver collected in conjunction with reparation offerings and sin offerings was not brought to the
17At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem.
18King Jehoash of Judah collected all the sacred items that his ancestors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, kings of Judah, had consecrated, as well as his own sacred items and all the gold that could be found in the treasuries of the
19The rest of the events of Joash’s reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.
20His servants conspired against him and murdered Joash at Beth-Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla.
21His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him. He was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Amaziah replaced him as king.