2 Chronicles 24:4-14

The Voice

⁴ After he had established his family, Joash decided to restore the Eternal’s temple ⁷ because the wicked Athaliah’s subjects had broken into the True God’s temple and used its dedicated contents to worship the Baals.^[a]

The Levites did not act quickly as their king had demanded, ⁶ so Joash rebuked Jehoiada the chief priest for not properly leading them.

⁸ He had a chest placed outside the Eternal’s temple near the gate ⁹ and told everyone in Judah and Jerusalem to bring the money that Moses, the servant of the True God, commanded Israel to bring to the Eternal while they were in the desert. ¹⁰ All the officers and all the people were excited to help restore the temple, as they had been when it was initially constructed, so they all put their money in the chest until it was full. ¹¹ Each day the Levites returned the chest to the king’s officer, where the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would empty the chest and return it to the temple gate. They emptied the chest every day because the people gave so much money.

^12-13 Joash and Jehoiada gave the money to the Eternal’s temple servants, who contracted masons, carpenters, and iron and bronze workers. These workers worked to repair, restore, and strengthen the True God’s temple to King David’s original specifications. ¹⁴ So much money had been collected that the workers were able to return the extra to Joash and Jehoiada and make gold and silver vessels and utensils for services and burnt offerings in the Eternal’s temple. Having completed the renovations, everyone was faithful to God and gave burnt offerings in the Eternal’s temple for the rest of Jehoiada’s life.