⁴ Later on, Joash decided to rebuild the Lord’s Temple, ⁵ so he assembled the priests and descendants of Levi and ordered them, “Go throughout the cities of Judah and take up a collection^[a] from all of Israel for the annual upkeep^[b] of the Temple of your God. And make sure that you act quickly.” But the descendants of Levi did not act quickly, ⁶ so the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and asked him, “Why haven’t you required the descendants of Levi to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the Lord’s servant, and the assembly of Israel for the Tent of Testimony?”

⁷ Because that wicked woman Athaliah’s family members had broken into the Temple of God and used the consecrated implements of the Lord’s Temple for service to the Baals, ⁸ the king issued an order and a chest was made and set outside the entrance gate to the Lord’s Temple. ⁹ A public notice was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring in the tax that Moses the servant of the Lord had levied on Israel when they were in the wilderness. ¹⁰ So all the princes and all the people gladly brought their tax and placed it into the chest until they had completed paying the tax.^{[c] 11} Whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officials by the descendants of Levi, the royal secretary and the chief priest’s designated officer would come, empty the chest, and take it back to its place. They did this day after day until they had collected a large amount of cash.^[d]

¹² Both the king and Jehoiada paid the money to those who were working to maintain the service of the Lord’s Temple, and they, in turn, hired masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s Temple. Iron and bronze workers also were brought in to repair the Lord’s Temple. ¹³ As a result, the workmen did their labor, and the repair work progressed steadily under their supervision,^[e] and they restored God’s Temple back to what it should be, and strengthened it, too. ¹⁴ When they had completed the work, they brought what was left of the money to the king and to Jehoiada, and it was used to cast utensils for the Lord’s Temple that were to be utilized for daily service and for burnt offerings, for incense vessels, and for both gold and silver vessels. Burnt offerings were offered on a regular basis in the Lord’s Temple throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime.