12:4 Jehoash said to the priests, “I place at your disposal 4 all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the Lord’s temple, including the silver collected from the census tax, 5 the silver received from those who have made vows, 6 and all the silver that people have voluntarily contributed to the Lord’s temple. 7 12:5 The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.” 8
12:6 By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple. 12:7 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.” 9 12:8 The priests agreed 10 not to collect silver from the people and relieved themselves of personal responsibility for the temple repairs. 11
12:9 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 12 the Lord’s temple. The priests who guarded the entrance would put into it all the silver brought to the Lord’s temple. 12:10 When they saw the chest was full of silver, the royal secretary 13 and the high priest counted the silver that had been brought to the Lord’s temple and bagged it up. 14 12:11 They would then hand over 15 the silver that had been weighed to the construction foremen 16 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and builders to work on the Lord’s temple, 12:12 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. 17 12:13 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. 12:14 It was handed over 18 to the foremen who used it to repair the Lord’s temple. 12:15 They did not audit the treasurers who disbursed 19 the funds to the foremen, for they were honest. 20 12:16 (The silver collected in conjunction with reparation offerings and sin offerings was not brought to the Lord’s temple; it belonged to the priests.)
12:17 At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked 21 Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. 22 12:18 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 23 to King Hazael of Syria, who then withdrew 24 from Jerusalem.
12:19 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. 25 12:20 His servants conspired against him 26 and murdered Joash at Beth-Millo, on the road that goes down to Silla. 27 12:21 His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer murdered him. 28 He was buried 29 with his ancestors in the city of David. His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
13:1 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 30 for seventeen years. 13:2 He did evil in the sight of 31 the Lord. He continued in 32 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had encouraged Israel to sin; he did not repudiate those sins. 33 13:3 The Lord was furious with 34 Israel and handed them over to 35 King Hazael of Syria and to Hazael’s son Ben Hadad for many years. 36
13:4 Jehoahaz asked for the Lord’s mercy 37 and the Lord responded favorably, 38 for he saw that Israel was oppressed by the king of Syria. 39 13:5 The Lord provided a deliverer 40 for Israel and they were freed from Syria’s power. 41 The Israelites once more lived in security. 42 13:6 But they did not repudiate 43 the sinful ways of the family 44 of Jeroboam, who encouraged Israel to sin; they continued in those sins. 45 There was even an Asherah pole 46 standing in Samaria. 13:7 Jehoahaz had no army left 47 except for fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and 10,000 foot soldiers. The king of Syria had destroyed his troops 48 and trampled on them like dust. 49
13:8 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. 50 13:9 Jehoahaz passed away 51 and was buried 52 in Samaria. His son Joash replaced him as king.
13:10 In the thirty-seventh year of King Joash’s reign over Judah, Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash became king over Israel. He reigned in Samaria 53 for sixteen years. 13:11 He did evil in the sight of 54 the Lord. He did not repudiate 55 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin; he continued in those sins. 56 13:12 The rest of the events of Joash’s 57 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. 58 13:13 Joash passed away 59 and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne. 60 Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
13:14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness. 61 King Joash of Israel went down to visit him. 62 He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot 63 and horsemen of Israel!” 64 13:15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 65 13:16 Then Elisha 66 told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.” 67 He did so, 68 and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 13:17 Elisha 69 said, “Open the east window,” and he did so. 70 Elisha said, “Shoot!” and
he did so. 71 Elisha 72 said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria. 73 You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!” 74 13:18 Then Elisha 75 said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so. 76 He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 13:19 The prophet 77 got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria! 78 But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”
13:20 Elisha died and was buried. 79 Moabite raiding parties invaded 80 the land at the beginning of the year. 81 13:21 One day some men 82 were burying a man when they spotted 83 a raiding party. So they threw the dead man 84 into Elisha’s tomb. When the body 85 touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man 86 came to life and stood on his feet.
13:22 Now King Hazael of Syria oppressed Israel throughout Jehoahaz’s reign. 87 13:23 But the Lord had mercy on them and felt pity for them. 88 He extended his favor to them 89 because of the promise he had made 90 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has been unwilling to destroy them or remove them from his presence to this very day. 91 13:24 When King Hazael of Syria died, his son Ben Hadad replaced him as king. 13:25 Jehoahaz’s son Jehoash took back from 92 Ben Hadad son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from his father Jehoahaz in war. Joash defeated him three times and recovered the Israelite cities.
14:1 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz, 93 Joash’s 94 son Amaziah became king over Judah. 14:2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 95 His mother 96 was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 14:3 He did what the Lord approved, 97 but not like David his father. He followed the example of his father Joash. 98 14:4 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
14:5 When he had secured control of the kingdom, 99 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 100 14:6 But he did not execute the sons of the assassins. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, 101 “Fathers must not be put to death for what their sons do, 102 and sons must not be put to death for what their fathers do. 103 A man must be put to death only for his own sin.” 104
14:7 He defeated 105 10,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley; he captured Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, a name it has retained to this very day. 14:8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.” 106 14:9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal 107 of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn. 108 14:10 You thoroughly defeated Edom 109 and it has gone to your head! 110 Gloat over your success, 111 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 112 14:11 But Amaziah would not heed the warning, 113 so King Jehoash of Israel attacked. 114 He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face 115 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 14:12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 116 14:13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He 117 attacked 118 Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet. 119 14:14 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in the Lord’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace, and some hostages. 120 Then he went back to Samaria. 121
( 14:15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s 122 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. 123 14:16 Jehoash passed away 124 and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam replaced him as king.)
14:17 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 14:18 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 125 14:19 Conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem, 126 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him 127 and they killed him there. 14:20 His body was carried back by horses 128 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the city of David. 14:21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place. 14:22 Azariah 129 built up Elat and restored it to Judah after the king 130 had passed away. 131
14:23 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Judah’s King Amaziah, son of Joash, Jeroboam son of Joash became king over Israel. He reigned for forty-one years in Samaria. 132 14:24 He did evil in the sight of 133 the Lord; he did not repudiate 134 the sinful ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat who encouraged Israel to sin. 14:25 He restored the border of Israel from Lebo Hamath in the north to the sea of the Arabah in the south, 135 in accordance with the word of the Lord God of Israel announced through 136 his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. 14:26 The Lord saw Israel’s intense suffering; 137 everyone was weak and incapacitated and Israel had no deliverer. 138 14:27 The Lord had not decreed that he would blot out Israel’s memory 139 from under heaven, 140 so he delivered them through Jeroboam son of Joash.
14:28 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, including all his accomplishments, his military success in restoring Israelite control over Damascus and Hamath, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 141 14:29 Jeroboam passed away 142 and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. 143 His son Zechariah replaced him as king.