of Beer-sheba.
And Joash did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord all the
days of Jehoiada the priest.

And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to restore the
house of the Lord. And he gathered together the priests and the
Levites, and said to them, "Go out unto the cities of Judah, and
gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year
to year, and see that ye hasten the matter." Howbeit the Levites
hastened it not.

And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said {278} unto him,
"Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah
and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of
the congregation of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?" For the
sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God;
and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they
bestow upon the idols of Baal.

So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it without at
the gate of the house of the Lord. And they made a proclamation
through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for the Lord the tax that
Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. And all
the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into
the chest, until they had made an end. And it was so, that at what
time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the
Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's
scribe and the chief priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and
took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day,
and gathered money in abundance.

And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the
service of the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters
to restore the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and
brass to repair the house of the Lord. So the workmen wrought, and the
work was perfected by them, and they set up the house of God in its
state, and strengthened it. And when they had made an end, they
brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof
were made vessels for the {279} house of the Lord, even vessels to
minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and
silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord
continually all the days of Jehoiada.

But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; an hundred
and thirty years old was he when he died.

And they