2 Kings 12

In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

In Jehu's seventh year, Jehoash started his rule, and for forty years, he led Jerusalem. His mother, Zibiah from Beersheba, watched him ascend to power.

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

As long as Priest Jehoiada was teaching him, Jehoash faithfully followed God's path.

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

Despite the divine command, the sacred hills remained untouched. The people continued their rituals, offering sacrifices and burning incense atop these heights.

And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

Jehoash urged the priests, "Every penny devoted to God's house, whether given as a duty or from the heart, must be used for the Lord's work."

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

Let the priests collect it, each from the people he knows. They should mend any damage in the house, wherever it may be found.

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

In the 23rd year of King Jehoash's reign, the priests had still not fixed the damages to the temple.

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

King Jehoash, deeply upset, summoned Jehoiada and the other priests. He questioned them, "Why haven't you fixed the damages in our sacred house? Stop accepting money from your friends. Use it instead to repair our holy place."

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

The priests agreed not to take any more money from the people, nor to fix the damages of the house. They felt a deep sense of responsibility and humility.

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

Jehoiada the priest, with a sense of purpose, carefully drilled a hole into the top of a chest. Placing it reverently next to the altar, on the right side as you enter God's house, he entrusted the door-keeping priests to fill it with all the offerings brought into the Lord's house.

And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

When they realized the chest was overflowing with money, the king's secretary and the high priest were overwhelmed. They carefully bagged it all up, counting every coin that had been generously donated to the Lord's house.

And they gave the money, 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 out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,

They handed over the money, as instructed, to those in charge of the Lord's house. This money was then given to the carpenters and builders working on the Lord's house.

And to masons, 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 out for the house to repair it.

To the builders and stonecutters, for the purchase of timber and cut stone to mend the damages in the Lord's house, and for all the restoration work needed.

Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD:

Despite the funds brought to the Lord's house, no silver bowls, snuffers, basins, trumpets, or any golden or silver vessels were crafted for it.

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

They generously handed it over to the craftsmen, who passionately restored the Lord's house with it.

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

They didn't question the men they entrusted with the money for the workers, because they were honest and trustworthy.

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

The money collected for sins and wrongdoings was not given to God's house. Instead, it was kept by the priests.

Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Hazael, the Syrian king, courageously attacked and conquered Gath. With determination in his eyes, he set his sights on Jerusalem.

And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed 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 away from Jerusalem.

Jehoash, the king of Judah, gathered all the sacred items his predecessors - Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah - had set aside. He added his own sacred treasures and all the gold found in the Lord's house and his own palace. With a heavy heart, he sent it all to Hazael, the king of Syria, and Hazael withdrew from Jerusalem.

And the rest 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?

Isn't everything else Joash did, all his actions and deeds, recorded in the history book of Judah's kings?

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

His servants, filled with rage and deceit, plotted against Joash. In the shadowy corners of Millo's house, they ended his life.

For Jozachar 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.

Jozachar and Jehozabad, his trusted servants, tragically betrayed and killed him. He was laid to rest alongside his ancestors in the city of David. His son, Amaziah, took over his reign.