Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
The Message Bible MSG
1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joas began to reign: and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Sebia, of Bersabee.
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In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began his kingly rule. He was king for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Gazelle. She was from Beersheba.
2 And Joas did that which was right before the Lord all the days that Joiada, the priest, taught him.
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Taught and trained by Jehoiada the priest, Joash did what pleased God for as long as he lived.
3 But yet he took not away the high places: for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
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(Even so, he didn't get rid of the sacred fertility shrines - people still frequented them, sacrificing and burning incense.)
4 And Joas said to the priests: all the money of the sanctified things, which is brought into the temple of the Lord by those that pass, which is offered for the price of a soul, and which of their own accord, and of their own free heart, they bring into the temple of the Lord:
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Joash instructed the priests: "Take the money that is brought into The Temple of God for holy offerings - both mandatory offerings and freewill offerings -
5 Let the priests take it according to their order and repair the house, wheresoever they shall see any thing that wanteth repairing.
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and, keeping a careful accounting, use them to renovate The Temple wherever it has fallen into disrepair."
6 Now till the three and twentieth year of king Joas the priests did not make the repairs of the temple.
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But by the twenty-third year of Joash's rule, the priests hadn't done one thing - The Temple was as dilapidated as ever.
7 And king Joas called Joiada, the high priest, and the priests, saying to them: Why do you not repair the temple? Take you, therefore, money no more according to your order, but restore it for the repairing of the temple.
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King Joash called Jehoiada the priest and the company of priests and said, "Why haven't you renovated this sorry-looking Temple? You are forbidden to take any more money for Temple repairs - from now on, hand over everything you get."
8 And the priests were forbidden to take any more money of the people, and to make the repairs of the house.
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The priests agreed not to take any more money or to be involved in The Temple renovation.
9 And Joiada, the high priest, took a chest, and bored a hole in the top, and set it by the altar at the right hand of them that came into the house of the Lord; and the priests that kept the doors, put therein all the money that was brought to the temple of the Lord.
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Then Jehoiada took a single chest and bored a hole in the lid and placed it to the right of the main entrance into The Temple of God. All the offerings that were brought to The Temple of God were placed in the chest by the priests who guarded the entrance.
10 And when they saw that there was very much money in the chest, the king’s scribe, and the high priest, came up, and poured it out, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.
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When they saw that a large sum of money had accumulated in the chest, the king's secretary and the chief priest would empty the chest and count the offerings.
11 And they gave it out by number and measure into the hands of them that were over the builders of the house of the Lord: and they laid it out to the carpenters, and the masons, that wrought in the house of the Lord,
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They would give the money accounted for to the managers of The Temple project; they in turn would pay the carpenters, construction workers,
12 And made the repairs: and to them that cut stones, and to buy timber, and stones to be hewed, that the repairs of the house of the Lord might be completely finished, and wheresoever there was need of expenses to uphold the house.
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masons, stoneworkers, and the buyers of timber and quarried stone for the repair and renovation of The Temple of God - any expenses connected with fixing up The Temple.
13 But there were not made of the same money for the temple of the Lord, bowls, or fleshhooks, or censers, or trumpets, or any vessel of gold and silver, of the money that was brought into the temple of the Lord:
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But none of the money brought into The Temple of God was used for liturgical "extras" (silver chalices, candle snuffers, trumpets, various gold and silver vessels, etc.).
14 For it was given to them that did the work, that the temple of the Lord might be repaired.
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It was given to the workmen to pay for their repairing God's Temple.
15 And they reckoned not with the men that received the money to distribute it to the workmen, but they bestowed it faithfully.
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And no one even had to check on the men who handled the money given for the project - they were honest men.
16 But the money for trespass, and the money for sins, they brought not into the temple of the Lord, because it was for the priests.
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Offerings designated for Compensation Offerings and Absolution Offerings didn't go into the building project - those went directly to the priests.
17 Then Hazael, king of Syria, went up, and fought against Geth, and took it, and set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
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Around this time Hazael king of Aram ventured out and attacked Gath, and he captured it. Then he decided to try for Jerusalem.
18 Wherefore Joas, king of Juda, took all the sanctified things, which Josaphat, and Joram, and Ochozias, his fathers, the kings of Juda, had dedicated to holy uses, and which he himself had offered: and all the silver that could be found in the treasures of the temple of the Lord, and in the king’s palace: and sent it to Hazael, king of Syria, and he went off from Jerusalem.\par
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Joash king of Judah countered by gathering up all the sacred memorials - gifts dedicated for holy use by his ancestors, the kings of Judah, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah, along with the holy memorials he himself had received, plus all the gold that he could find in the temple and palace storerooms - and sent it to Hazael king of Aram. Appeased, Hazael went on his way and didn't bother Jerusalem.
19 And the rest of the acts of Joas, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?
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The rest of the life and times of Joash and all that he did are written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
20 And his servants arose, and conspired among themselves, and slew Joas, in the house of Mello, in the descent of Sella.
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At the last his palace staff formed a conspiracy and assassinated Joash as he was strolling along the ramp of the fortified outside city wall.
21 For Josachar the son of Semaath, and Jozabad the son of Somer his servant, struck him, and he died: and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David; and Amasias, his son, reigned in his stead.
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Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer were the assassins. And so Joash died and was buried in the family plot in the City of David. His son Amaziah was king after him.
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Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.