1. Now Joash was seven years old when he started his reign, and he was king in Jerusalem for forty years. The name of his mother was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2. Joash did what was correct in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3. And Jehoiada gave Joash two wives, and he had sons and daughters.
4. And it happened after this that it was in the heart of Joash to restore the house of the Lord.
5. So he assembled the priests and Levites to speak with them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to fortify the house of your God, what is necessary each year. Now hurry with this matter.” But the Levites delayed.
6. So the king called Jehoiada, who was head over this, and said to him, “Why have you not required from the Levites that they bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, for the congregation of Israel for the tent of the testimony?”
7. For the sons of Athaliah, the wicked woman, had broken into the house of God and even used all the holy items of the house of the Lord for Baal worship.
8. Then the king spoke, and they made a chest, and put it outside the gate of the house of the Lord.
9. And they gave a report in Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the Lord a tax levied by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.