¶ In the seventh¹ year of Jehu Jehoash² began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

⁴And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

⁵But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

¶ And Jehoash said to the priests⁶, All the money⁷ of the dedicated things⁸ that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money⁹ of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money¹¹ that cometh¹² into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

Let the priests¹³ take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair¹⁴ the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.

But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year¹⁵ of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

Then king Jehoash¹⁶ called for Jehoiada¹⁷ the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye¹⁸ not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.

And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.

But Jehoiada the priest took a chest¹⁹, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside²⁰ the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests²¹ that kept the door²² put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

¶ And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's²³ scribe²⁴ and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags²⁵, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

And they gave the money²⁶, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out²⁷ to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,

And to masons²⁸, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out²⁹ for the house to repair it.

Howbeit there were not³⁰ made for the house of the LORD bowls³¹ of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets³², any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD:

But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.

Moreover they reckoned³³ not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt³⁴ faithfully.

The trespass money³⁵ and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests'.

¶ Then Hazael³⁶ king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath³⁷, and took it: and Hazael set his face³⁸ to go up to Jerusalem³⁹.

And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed⁴⁰ things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away⁴¹ from Jerusalem.

And the rest⁴² of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

¶ And his servants⁴³ arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo⁴⁴, which goeth down to Silla.

For Jozachar⁴⁵ the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.