Reign of Joash in Judah
1 Joash was seven years old when he began his reign.
2 It was then the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned for forty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
3 Joash did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh as long as the priest Jehoiada guided him.
4 But he did not demolish the sanctuaries on the hillsides where people continued offering sacrifices and burning incense.
5 Joash said to the priest, “All the money from the sacred contributions which the people bring to offer in the House of Yahweh, the money in cash, that which is offered as personal assessment, and that which is freely and voluntarily given in the House of Yahweh –
6 all these you can receive. Let each one receive from the hand of those to whom he attends, but you are to repair the House of Yahweh, when anything needs to be repaired.”
7 By the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, the priests had not yet carried out the repairs needed in the House of Yahweh.
8 So the king summoned Jeho iada the priest and the other priests with him, and said to them, “Why have you not carried out the repairs of the House yet? From now on, you will no longer keep any money during your service, but shall set it aside for the repair of the House.”
9 The priests agreed that henceforth, they would not accept money from the people and would not be in charge of the repair of the House.
10 So Jehoiada, the priest, had a box made with a hole in the cover. He placed this by the altar, to the right side of those entering the House of Yahweh, and the priests who were at the gates put in it all the money offered in the House of Yahweh.
11 Whenever they saw that the box was full, a secretary of the king would come, and together with the high priest, they would take and count the money.
12 Then they would turn the amount over into the hands of those responsible for the work of the House, who would, in turn, pay with this money the carpenters and bricklayers doing the repairs.
13 From this amount, they also bought the stones, wood and everything necessary for the repair of the House of Yahweh.
14 But of this money given for the House of Yah weh, they did not make any silver cups, or cutting tools, or water jars, or trumpets, or any golden or silver objects,
15 but all the money was used to pay those who were repairing the House of Yahweh.
16 Accounts were not asked from those responsible for paying the laborers, since they acted with great honor.
17 Only the money offered for the expiation of sins was for the priests.
18 At that time Hazael, king of Aram, went up to fight against Gath. He captured it and was heading for Jerusalem.
19 So Joash, king of Judah, took all the precious things that his fathers, Jeho shaphat, Jehoram and Aha ziah, kings of Judah, had consecrated, with all that he himself had consecrated, and all the gold he could find in the treasury of the House of Yah weh and in those of the king’s house. Then he sent them to Hazael, king of Aram, who left Jerusalem with them.
20 Now the rest regarding Joash and all that he did is written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
21 Some of his officials plotted a conspiracy against him, and they killed him in Beth-Millo, as he was going to Silla.
22 Jozacar, son of Shi meath, and Jeho zabad, son of Shomer, struck him down, and he died. He was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and his son Amaziah reigned in his place.
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Comments 2 Kings, Chapter 12
• 12.1 The following six chapters relate the history of the kingdom of Israel and Judah from Joash to the destruction of the kingdom of Israel (the northern kingdom) in 721 B.C., a period of over a hundred years.
In Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, there are only four kings, the first two rule for forty years each.
In Israel, at first the sons of Jehu suffer many setbacks. Their third descendant, Jeroboam II, will achieve a period of prosperity thanks to his victories.
Meanwhile, the powerful kings of Assyria conquer everywhere and soon threaten Israel with their armies and their power.