2Kings:12

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* Jehoash became king of Judah . It was the seventh year of Jehu 's rule over Israel . Jehoash ruled for forty years in Jerusalem . His mother 's name was Zibiah of Beersheba . * Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah all his days , because he was guided by the teaching of Jehoiada the priest . * The high places were not taken away . The people continued making offerings and burning them in the high places . * Jehoash said to the priests : »All the money of the holy things , which comes into the house of Jehovah , the amount fixed for every man 's payment , and all the money given by any man freely by motivation of his heart , * »Let the priests take , every man from his friends and neighbors , to make good what is damaged in the Temple , wherever it is to be seen .« * But in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash , the priests had not made good the damaged parts of the Temple . * He called in Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them : »Why are you not 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 .« * The priests agreed to this and also agreed not to make the repairs in the Temple . * Then 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 . * Whenever 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 . * After recording the exact amount , they would hand the silver over to the men in charge of the work in the Temple . These would pay the carpenters , the builders , * the masons , and the stonecutters , buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs , and pay all other necessary expenses . * None of the money 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 . * It was all used to pay the workers and to buy the materials used in the repairs . * The men in charge of the work were very honest . There was no need to require them to account for the funds . * The money given for the repayment offerings and for the offerings for sin was not deposited in the box . It belonged to the priests . * King Hazael of Syria attacked the city of Gath and conquered it . Then he decided to attack Jerusalem . * King Jehoash of Judah took all the offerings that his predecessors Jehoshaphat , Jehoram , and Ahaziah had dedicated to Jehovah , 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 . * The rest of the history of Jehoash is recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Judah . * His own officials plotted against him and killed him at the House of the Mound on the road that goes down to Silla . * Jehoash 's officials Jozacar , son of Shimeath , and Jehozabad , son of Shomer , executed him . They buried him with his ancestors in the City of David . His son Amaziah succeeded him as king .

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