Chronological

12 ¹ (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. ² Jehoash did what the Lord approved^[a] all his days when^[b] Jehoiada the priest taught him. ³ But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

⁴ Jehoash said to the priests, “I place at your disposal^[c] all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the Lord’s temple, including the silver collected from the census tax,^[d] the silver received from those who have made vows,^[e] and all the silver that people have voluntarily contributed to the Lord’s temple.^{[f] 5} The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.”^[g]

⁶ By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple. ⁷ So 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.”^{[h] 8} The priests agreed^[i] not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs.^[j]

⁹ Jehoiada 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^[k] the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance would put into it all the silver brought to the Lord’s temple. ¹⁰ When they saw the chest was full of silver, the royal secretary^[l] and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple and bagged it up.^{[m] 11} They would then hand over^[n] the silver that had been weighed to the construction foremen^[o] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and builders to work on the Lord’s temple, ¹² as well as masons and stonecutters. They bought wood and chiseled stone to repair the damage to the Lord’s temple and also paid for all the other expenses.^{[p] 13} The silver brought to the Lord’s temple was not used for silver bowls, trimming shears, basins, trumpets, or any kind of gold or silver implements. ¹⁴ It was handed over^[q] to the foremen who used it to repair the Lord’s temple. ¹⁵ They did not audit the treasurers who disbursed^[r] the funds to the foremen, for they were honest.^{[s] 16} (The silver collected in conjunction with reparation offerings and sin offerings was not brought to the Lord’s temple; it belonged to the priests.)

¹⁷ At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked^[t] Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem.^{[u] 18} King 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 Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He sent it all^[v] to King Hazael of Syria, who then withdrew^[w] from Jerusalem.

¹⁹ The 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.^{[x] 20} His servants conspired against him^[y] and murdered Joash at Beth Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla.^{[z] 21} His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him.^[aa] He was buried^[ab] with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Amaziah replaced him as king.

Jehoahaz’s Reign over Israel

13 In the twenty-third year of the reign of Judah’s King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for seventeen years. ² He did evil in the sight of^[ac] the Lord. He continued in^[ad] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins.^{[ae] 3} The Lord was furious with^[af] Israel and handed them over to^[ag] King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years.^[ah]

⁴ Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy,^[ai] and the Lord responded favorably,^[aj] for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria.^{[ak] 5} The Lord provided a deliverer^[al] for Israel, and they were freed from Syria’s power.^[am] The Israelites once more lived in security.^{[an] 6} But they did not repudiate^[ao] the sinful ways of the family^[ap] of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins.^[aq] There was even an Asherah pole^[ar] standing in Samaria. ⁷ Jehoahaz had no army left^[as] except for 50 horsemen, 10 chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops^[at] and trampled on them as dust.^[au]

⁸ The rest of the events of Jehoahaz’s reign, including all his accomplishments and successes, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.^{[av] 9} Jehoahaz passed away^[aw] and was buried^[ax] in Samaria. His son Jehoash^[ay] replaced him as king.

Jehoash’s Reign over Israel

¹⁰ In the thirty-seventh year of King Jehoash’s reign over Judah, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria for sixteen years. ¹¹ He did evil in the sight of^[az] the Lord. He did not repudiate^[ba] the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins.^{[bb] 12} The rest of the events of Jehoash’s^[bc] reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.^{[bd] 13} Jehoash passed away^[be] and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne.^[bf] Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

Elisha Makes One Final Prophecy

¹⁴ Now Elisha had a terminal illness.^[bg] King Jehoash of Israel went down to visit him.^[bh] He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot^[bi] and horsemen of Israel!”^{[bj] 15} Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.^{[bk] 16} Then Elisha^[bl] told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.”^[bm] He did so,^[bn] and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. ¹⁷ Elisha^[bo] said, “Open the east window,” and he did so.^[bp] Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so.^[bq] Elisha^[br] said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria.^[bs] You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!”^{[bt] 18} Then Elisha^[bu] said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so.^[bv] He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The prophet^[bw] got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria!^[bx] But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”

²⁰ Elisha died and was buried.^[by] Moabite raiding parties invaded^[bz] the land at the beginning of the year.^{[ca] 21} One day some men^[cb] were burying a man when they spotted^[cc] a raiding party. So they threw the dead man^[cd] into Elisha’s tomb. When the body^[ce] touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man^[cf] came to life and stood on his feet.

²² Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign.^{[cg] 23} But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them.^[ch] He extended his favor to them^[ci] because of the promise he had made^[cj] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day.^{[ck] 24} When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. ²⁵ Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from^[cl] Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Jehoash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.

Joash’s Reign

24 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother^[a] was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. ² Joash did what the Lord approved^[b] throughout the lifetime^[c] of Jehoiada the priest. ³ Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.

⁴ Later, Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple.^{[d] 5} He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.

⁶ So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest,^[e] and said to him, “Why have you not made^[f] the Levites collect^[g] from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?”^{[h] 7} (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) ⁸ The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple.^{[i] 9} An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.^{[j] 10} All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. ¹¹ Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.

¹² The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen^[k] assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. ¹³ They worked hard and made the repairs.^[l] They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it.^{[m] 14} When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.

¹⁵ Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. ¹⁶ He was buried in the City of David^[n] with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.

¹⁷ After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him.^[o] The king listened to their advice.^{[p] 18} They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors^[q] and worshiped^[r] the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. ¹⁹ The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him.^[s] They warned^[t] the people, but they would not pay attention. ²⁰ God’s Spirit energized^[u] Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous. Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” ²¹ They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. ²² King Joash disregarded^[v] the loyalty Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s^[w] son. As Zechariah^[x] was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!”^[y]

²³ At the beginning^[z] of the year the Syrian army attacked^[aa] Joash^[ab] and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. ²⁴ Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army,^[ac] for the people of Judah^[ad] had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians^[ae] gave Joash what he deserved.^{[af] 25} When they withdrew, they left Joash^[ag] badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to^[ah] the son^[ai] of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus^[aj] he died and was buried in the City of David,^[ak] but not in the tombs of the kings. ²⁶ The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).

²⁷ The list of Joash’s^[al] sons, the many prophetic oracles about him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings.^[am] His son Amaziah replaced him as king.