King Joash of Judah
(2 Chronicles 24.1-16)1 In the seventh year of the reign of King Jehu of Israel, Joash became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother was Zibiah from the city of Beersheba. 2 Throughout his life he did what pleased the Lord, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 However, the pagan places of worship were not destroyed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4 Joash called the priests and ordered them to save up the money paid in connection with the sacrifices in the Temple, both the dues paid for the regular sacrifices and the money given as freewill gifts. 5 Each priest was to be responsible for the money brought by those he served, and the money was to be used to repair the Temple, as needed.
6 But by the twenty-third year of Joash's reign the priests still had not made any repairs in the Temple. 7 So he called in Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren't you 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.” 8 The priests agreed to this and also agreed not to make the repairs in the Temple.
9 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. 10 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. 11 After recording the exact amount, they would hand the silver over to the men in charge of the work in the Temple, and these would pay the carpenters, the builders, 12 the masons, and the stone cutters, buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs, and pay all other necessary expenses. 13 None of the money, however, 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. 14 It was all used to pay the workers and to buy the materials used in the repairs. 15 The men in charge of the work were thoroughly honest, so there was no need to require them to account for the funds. 16 The money given for the repayment offerings and for the offerings for sin was not deposited in the box; it belonged to the priests.
17 At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked the city of Gath and conquered it; then he decided to attack Jerusalem. 18 King Joash of Judah took all the offerings that his predecessors Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah had dedicated to the Lord, 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.
19 Everything else that King Joash did is recorded in The History of the Kings of Judah.
20-21 King Joash's officials plotted against him, and two of them, Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer, killed him at the house built on the land that was filled in on the east side of Jerusalem, on the road that goes down to Silla. Joash was buried in the royal tombs in David's City, and his son Amaziah succeeded him as king.
Tempļa sienu labošana
(2L 24:1–14)1 Jehoāšs sāka valdīt septiņu gadu vecumā.
2 Jehus septītajā gadā Jehoāšs sāka valdīt un valdīja Jeruzālemē četrdesmit gadus. Viņa mātes vārds bija Cibja no Bēršebas. 3 Visu mūžu Jehoāšs darīja to, kas tīkams Kungam. Viņu mācīja priesteris Jehojāda. 4 Tikai augstieņu altārus viņš nenovāca. Tauta joprojām upurēja un kvēpināja augstieņu altāros. 5 Jehoāšs sacīja priesteriem: “Visu tempļa naudu, kas ienāk Kunga namā, kas vien tur ir apritē, visas galvasnaudas un visu brīvprātīgi doto naudu, kas no sirds ziedota Kunga namam, 6 priesteri lai ņem no tiem, kurus pazīst, un izlieto nama mūru plaisu labošanai – visu, kas tur ir labojams!”
7 Ķēniņa Jehoāša divdesmit trešajā gadā priesteri nama plaisas vēl nebija aizdarījuši. 8 Tad ķēniņš Jehoāšs sauca priesteri Jehojādu, pārējos priesterus un tiem sacīja: “Kāpēc jūs neesat aizdarījuši nama plaisas? Tagad jūs vairs neņemsiet naudu no tiem, kurus pazīstat, bet nodosiet to nama plaisu aizdarītājiem!” 9 Priesteri piekrita neņemt naudu no tautas un nenodarboties ar nama plaisu aizdarīšanu.
10 Priesteris Jehojāda ņēma lādi, izurba vākā caurumu un nolika to blakus altārim labajā pusē. Kad vien kāds ienāca Kunga namā, priesteri, durvju sargi, tur ielika visu naudu, kas ienāca Kunga namā. 11 Kad tie redzēja, ka lādē ir daudz naudas, nāca ķēniņa rakstvedis un augstais priesteris – viņi savāca un saskaitīja visu naudu, kas bija Kunga namā. 12 Saskaitīto naudu viņi deva Kunga nama darbu pārraugiem. Tie izmaksāja to kokgriezējiem un namdariem, kas strādāja Kunga namā, 13 mūrniekiem un akmeņkaļiem – koku iegādei un akmeņu tēšanai, lai aizdarītu Kunga nama plaisas, kā arī visiem citiem izdevumiem, kas namam bija nepieciešami. 14 Taču no Kunga namā ienākušās naudas Kunga namam netaisīja ne sudraba bļodas, ne dzirkles, ne laistāmos traukus, ne taures, ne zelta traukus, ne sudraba traukus. 15 To deva darbu pārraugiem, kuri aizdarīja Kunga nama plaisas. 16 Tiem vīriem, kuriem deva naudu, lai to izmaksātu strādniekiem, norēķinus neprasīja, jo tie bija uzticami. 17 Bet nauda no vainas izpirkšanas un grēku upuriem Kunga namā netika nesta, tā bija priesteriem.
Hazaēls apdraud Jeruzālemi
18 Tajā laikā Arāmas ķēniņš Hazaēls karoja pret Gatu un to ieņēma. Tad Hazaēls nolēma doties pret Jeruzālemi. 19 Un Jūdas ķēniņš Jehoāšs ņēma visas svētās dāvanas, ko bija devuši Jūdas ķēniņi Jehošāfāts, Jehorāms, viņa tēvs Ahazjāhu, kā arī savas dāvanas – visu zeltu, kas atradās Kunga namā un ķēniņa nama mantnīcās, – un sūtīja tās Arāmas ķēniņam Hazaēlam, un tas aizgāja no Jeruzālemes.
Jehoāša nāve
(2L 24:23–27)20 Pārējie Jehoāša darbi un viss, ko viņš darīja, – vai tad par to nav rakstīts Jūdas ķēniņu Laiku grāmatā? 21 Viņa kalpi cēlās un sazvērējās pret viņu, un nokāva Jehoāšu Millo namā – no turienes iet lejā uz Sillu. 22 Viņa kalpi Jehozābāds, Šimāta dēls, un Jehozābāds, Šomera dēls, nokāva viņu, un viņš nomira. Viņu apbedīja pie tēviem Dāvida pilsētā, un viņa dēls Amacjāhu sāka valdīt pēc viņa.
