1. Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother was Zibiah from Beersheba.
2. Joash did what was pleasing in the lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.
3. Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash, and he had sons and daughters.
4. At one point Joash decided to repair and restore the Temple of the lord.
5. He summoned the priests and Levites and gave them these instructions: “Go to all the towns of Judah and collect the required annual offerings, so that we can repair the Temple of your God. Do not delay!” But the Levites did not act immediately.
6. So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and asked him, “Why haven’t you demanded that the Levites go out and collect the Temple taxes from the towns of Judah and from Jerusalem? Moses, the servant of the lord, levied this tax on the community of Israel in order to maintain the Tabernacle of the Covenant.”
7. Over the years the followers of wicked Athaliah had broken into the Temple of God, and they had used all the dedicated things from the Temple of the lord to worship the images of Baal.