e Levites, and complained that they had not
obeyed what he enjoined them, and still commanded them to take care of
the rebuilding the temple, he used this stratagem for collecting the
money, with which the multitude was pleased. He made a wooden chest, and
closed it up fast on all sides, but opened one hole in it; he then set
it in the temple beside the altar, and desired every one to cast into
it, through the hole, what he pleased, for the repair of the temple.
This contrivance was acceptable to the people, and they strove one with
another, and brought in jointly large quantities of silver and gold; and
when the scribe and the priest that were over the treasuries had emptied
the chest, and counted the money in the king's presence, they then
set it in its former place, and thus did they every day. But when the
multitude appeared to have cast in as much as was wanted, the high
priest Jehoiada, and king Joash, sent to hire masons and carpenters, and
to buy large pieces of timber, and of the most curious sort; and when
they had repaired the temple, they made use of the remaining gold and
silver, which was not a little, for bowls, and basons, and cups, and
other vessels, and they went on to make the altar every day fat with
sacrifices of great value. And these things were taken suitable care of
as long as Jehoiada lived.

3. But as soon as he was dead [which was when he had lived one hundred
and thirty years, having been a righteous, and in every respect a very
good man, and was buried in the king's sepulchers at Jerusalem, because
he had recovered the kingdom to the family of David] king Jehoash
betrayed his [want of] care about God. The principal men of the people
were corrupted also together with him, and offended against their
duty, and what their constitution determined to be most for their good.
Hereupon God was displeased with the change that was made on the king,
and on the rest of the people, and sent prophets to testify to them what
their actions were, and to bring them to leave off their wickedness; but
they had gotten such a strong affection and so violent an inclination to
it, that neither could the examples of those that had offered affronts
to the laws, and had been so severely punished, they and their entire
families, nor could the fear of what the prophets now foretold,
bring them to repentance, and turn them back from their course of
transgression to their former duty. But the king commanded that
Zechariah