2 Kings 12:1–15

King Joash of Judah

12In the seventh year of the reign of King Jehu of Israel, Joash became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 40 years. His mother was Zibiah from the city of Beersheba. ²Throughout his life he did what pleased the Lord, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. ³However, the pagan places of worship were not destroyed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

^4*Joash called the priests and ordered them to save up the money paid in connection with the sacrifices in the Temple, both the dues paid for the regular sacrifices and the money given as free-will gifts. ⁵Each priest was to be responsible for the money brought by those he served, and the money was to be used to repair the Temple, as needed.

⁶But by the 23rd year of Joash’s reign the priests still had not made any repairs to the Temple. ⁷So he called in Jehoiada and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the Temple? From now on you are not to keep the money you receive; you must hand it over, so that the repairs can be made.” ⁸The priests agreed to this and also agreed not to make the repairs in the Temple.

⁹Then Jehoiada took a box, made a hole in the lid, and placed the box by the altar, on the right side as one enters the Temple. The priests on duty at the entrance put in the box all the money given by the worshippers. ¹⁰Whenever there was a large amount of money in the box, the royal secretary and the High Priest would come, melt down the silver, and weigh it.^{y 11}After recording the exact amount, they would hand the silver over to the men in charge of the work in the Temple, and these would pay the carpenters, the builders, ¹²the masons, and the stonecutters, buy the timber and the stones used in the repairs, and pay all other necessary expenses. ¹³None of the money, however, was used to pay for making silver cups, bowls, trumpets, or tools for tending the lamps, or any other article of silver or of gold. ¹⁴It was all used to pay the workers and to buy the materials used in the repairs. ^15*The men in charge of the work were thoroughly honest, so there was no need to require them to account for the funds.