Young Joash Influenced by Jehoiada

24 (A)Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. (B)Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he fathered sons and daughters.

Faithless Priests

Now it came about after this that Joash [a]decided (C)to restore the house of the Lord. He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all (D)Israel to [b]repair the house of your God annually, and you shall [c]do the work quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. So the king summoned Jehoiada, the chief priest, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem (E)the [d]contribution of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel, (F)for the tent of the testimony?” For (G)the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God, and even [e]used the holy things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.

Temple Repaired

So the king commanded, and (H)they made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the Lord. (I)And they made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord (J)the [f]contribution commanded by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officers and all the people rejoiced, and they brought in their contribution and [g]dropped it into the chest until they had finished. 11 It happened that whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officer by the Levites, and (K)they saw that the money was substantial, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come and empty the chest, and pick it up and return it to its place. They did this daily and collected a large amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who 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 workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord. 13 So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they [h]restored the house of God according to its [i]specifications and strengthened it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the Lord, utensils for the service and the burnt offerings, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually, all the days of Jehoiada.

15 Now Jehoiada [j]reached a good old age and he died; he was 130 years old at his death. 16 And they buried him (L)in the city of David with the kings, because he had done well in (M)Israel and [k]for God and His house.

17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 And they abandoned (N)the house of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and (O)served the [l]Asherim and the idols; so (P)wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19 Yet (Q)He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

Joash Murders Son of Jehoiada

20 (R)Then the Spirit of God [m]covered Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest like clothing; and he stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God has said, ‘(S)Why do you break the commandments of the Lord and do not prosper? (T)Because you have abandoned the Lord, He has also abandoned you.’” 21 So (U)they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they stoned him [n]to death in the courtyard of the house of the Lord. 22 So Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as Zechariah died he said, “May (V)the Lord see and [o]avenge!”

Aram Invades and Defeats Judah

23 Now it happened at the turn of the year that (W)the army of the Arameans came up against Joash; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoils to the king of Damascus. 24 Indeed, the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet (X)the Lord handed a very great army over to them, (Y)because [p]Judah and Joash had abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

25 (Z)When they left him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the [q]son of Jehoiada the priest, and they murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 Now these are the men who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 As to his sons and the many pronouncements against him and (AA)the [r]rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the [s](AB)treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then his son Amaziah became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 24:4 Lit was with a heart
  2. 2 Chronicles 24:5 Lit strengthen
  3. 2 Chronicles 24:5 Lit hasten to the thing
  4. 2 Chronicles 24:6 Or mandatory offering
  5. 2 Chronicles 24:7 Lit made
  6. 2 Chronicles 24:9 Or mandatory offering
  7. 2 Chronicles 24:10 Lit threw
  8. 2 Chronicles 24:13 Lit set up
  9. 2 Chronicles 24:13 Lit measurement
  10. 2 Chronicles 24:15 Lit became old and satisfied with days
  11. 2 Chronicles 24:16 Lit with
  12. 2 Chronicles 24:18 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  13. 2 Chronicles 24:20 Lit clothed
  14. 2 Chronicles 24:21 Lit with stones
  15. 2 Chronicles 24:22 Lit seek; or require
  16. 2 Chronicles 24:24 Lit they
  17. 2 Chronicles 24:25 As in some ancient versions; MT sons
  18. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Lit founding
  19. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Heb midrash

24 Yo’ash was seven years old when he began his reign, and he reigned forty years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Tzivyah, from Be’er-Sheva. Yo’ash did what was right from Adonai’s perspective throughout the lifetime of Y’hoyada the cohen. Y’hoyada chose two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

Some time later, Yo’ash decided to restore the house of Adonai. He gathered the cohanim and L’vi’im and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Y’hudah, and collect money each year from all Isra’el to repair the house of your God. See that you do this promptly.” But when the L’vi’im procrastinated, the king summoned Y’hoyada the chief and said to him, “Why haven’t you demanded that the L’vi’im bring in from Y’hudah and Yerushalayim the tax prescribed by Moshe the servant of Adonai and by the community of Isra’el, for the tent of the testimony?” For the sons of that wicked ‘Atalyahu had broken up the house of God, and they had given all the consecrated things belonging to the house of Adonai to the ba‘alim.

Then, at the king’s order, they made a box and placed it outside the entrance to the house of Adonai. They proclaimed throughout Y’hudah and Yerushalayim that the tax Moshe the servant of God had imposed on Isra’el in the desert should be brought in for Adonai. 10 All the leaders and all the people were glad to bring in their contributions and put them in the box, until it was full. 11 When the box was brought to the king’s officials by the L’vi’im, and when they saw how much money there was, the king’s secretary and the chief cohen’s official came and emptied the box; then they took it and returned it to its place. They did this daily, and they collected money in abundance.

12 The king and Y’hoyada gave it to those in charge of taking care of the house of Adonai. They, in turn, hired stone-workers and carpenters to restore the house of Adonai, also iron- and bronze-workers to repair the house of Adonai. 13 The workers got on with their tasks, so that the restoration progressed well, until they had returned the house of God to its earlier condition and strengthened it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Y’hoyada, and it was used to make equipment for the house of Adonai articles for ministry, buckets, fire pans, and utensils of gold and silver. So they offered burnt offerings in the house of Adonai regularly throughout the time of Y’hoyada.

15 But Y’hoyada grew old; and when he was full of days, he died. He was 130 years old when he died. 16 They buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had served Isra’el, God and his house well.

17 After Y’hoyada died, the leaders of Y’hudah came and prostrated themselves before the king. Then the king listened to them; 18 and they abandoned the house of Adonai the God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. In consequence of their guilt, [God’s] anger fell on Y’hudah and Yerushalayim. 19 In spite of this, he sent them prophets to bring them back to Adonai; they warned them, but they wouldn’t pay attention. 20 The Spirit of God covered Z’kharyah the son of Y’hoyada the cohen; he stood above the people and addressed them: “Thus says God: ‘Why are you transgressing the mitzvot of Adonai and courting disaster? Because you have abandoned Adonai, he has abandoned you.” 21 But they conspired against him and stoned him to death at the order of the king in the courtyard of the house of Adonai. 22 Thus Yo’ash the king did not remember the kindness which Y’hoyada, [Z’kharyah’s] father, had done for him, but put his son to death. As he was dying he said, “May Adonai see this and take vengeance!”

23 The following spring, the army of Aram came up against him. They attacked Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, slaughtered all the people’s leaders and sent all their spoil to the king of Dammesek. 24 Although the army of Aram attacked with only a small company of men, Adonai handed over a very great army to them, because they had abandoned Adonai the God of their ancestors. Thus they executed judgment against Yo’ash.

25 After they had left him — and they left him seriously wounded — his own servants conspired against him because he had shed the blood of the sons of Y’hoyada the cohen; and they killed him in his own bed. After he died, they buried him in the City of David, but they didn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 Those who conspired against him were Zavad the son of Shim‘at the ‘Amonit and Y’hozavad the son of Shimrit the Mo’avit.

27 As for his sons, the heavy tribute imposed on him, and the rebuilding of the house of God, they are recorded in the commentary of the Annals of the Kings. Then Amatzyahu his son took his place as king.

約阿施作猶大王(A)

24 約阿施登基的時候是七歲,在耶路撒冷作王共四十年。他的母親名叫西比亞,是別是巴人。 耶何耶大祭司在世的日子,約阿施行耶和華看為正的事。 耶何耶大為他娶了兩個妻子,他就生了一些兒女。

下令重修聖殿(B)

此後,約阿施有意重修耶和華的殿, 就召集了眾祭司和利未人,對他們說:“你們要去到猶大各城,向所有以色列人募捐金錢,可以年年修建你們 神的殿;你們應急速辦理這事。”可是利未人卻不急速辦理。 於是王把大祭司耶何耶大召來,對他說:“你為甚麼不命令利未人把耶和華的僕人摩西和以色列的會眾,為法櫃的會幕規定的稅款,從猶大和耶路撒冷徵收回來,作修殿的費用呢?” 原來那惡婦亞他利雅的眾子曾經拆毀 神的殿,又把耶和華殿中一切分別為聖的物品用來供奉巴力。

於是王下令,他們就造了一個櫃,放在耶和華殿的門外; 又在猶大和耶路撒冷發出通告,叫人把 神的僕人摩西,在曠野規定以色列人繳交的稅款帶來,獻給耶和華。 10 眾領袖和人民都歡歡喜喜把稅款帶來,投進櫃中,直到他們都投完了。 11 利未人把銀櫃抬到王指定負責這事的人那裡的時候,他們看見稅銀很多,王的書記和大祭司的屬員就來把銀櫃倒空,然後抬回原處。天天都是這樣,所以收集了很多銀子。 12 王和耶何耶大把銀子交給耶和華殿的辦事人員,他們就雇了石匠和木匠,重建耶和華的殿,又雇了鐵匠和銅匠,重建耶和華的殿。 13 作工的人不住工作,重修的工程在他們手下順利進行;他們把 神的殿重建得和先前一樣,並且非常堅固。 14 他們完工以後,就把剩下的銀子送到王和耶何耶大面前,用來製造耶和華殿裡的器皿、供奉和獻祭所用的器皿、盤子,以及各種金銀器皿。耶何耶大在世的日子,眾人都常在耶和華的殿裡獻燔祭。

耶何耶大逝世

15 耶何耶大年紀老了,壽數滿足就死了;他死的時候,是一百三十歲。 16 他和列王一同埋葬在大衛城裡,因為他在以色列為 神和 神的殿作了美善的事。

全國上下離棄耶和華

17 耶何耶大死後,猶大的領袖們來朝拜王;王聽從了他們的主意。 18 他們離棄了耶和華他們列祖的 神的殿,去事奉亞舍拉和偶像。因為他們的罪, 神的忿怒臨到猶大和耶路撒冷。 19 但耶和華仍然差派先知到他們中間,引導他們歸向耶和華;這些先知雖然警告他們,他們卻不肯聽從。

撒迦利亞責民遭害

20 那時, 神的靈臨到耶何耶大祭司的兒子撒迦利亞身上,他就站在比眾民高的地方,對他們說:“ 神這樣說:‘你們為甚麼違背耶和華的誡命,使你們不得亨通呢?因為你們離棄了耶和華,所以耶和華也離棄你們。’” 21 眾人要殺害撒迦利亞,於是照著王的命令,在耶和華殿的院子裡用石頭把他打死。 22 約阿施王沒有記念撒迦利亞的父親耶何耶大對他所施的恩,反而殺了他的兒子。撒迦利亞臨死的時候,說:“願耶和華鑒察,並且責問你!”

亞蘭軍攻打猶大(C)

23 過了年,亞蘭的軍隊上來攻打約阿施;他們侵入猶大和耶路撒冷,殺了民間的領袖,又把他們的一切戰利品都送到大馬士革王那裡去。 24 亞蘭的軍隊雖然只來了一小隊人,耶和華卻把一支龐大的軍隊交在他們手裡;因為猶大人離棄了耶和華他們列祖的 神,亞蘭人向約阿施執行了懲罰。

約阿施被殺(D)

25 亞蘭人離開約阿施的時候,他們丟下約阿施,因為他受了重傷,他的臣僕要殺害他,為了報復耶何耶大祭司的兒子流血的仇;他們在床上殺死他,他就死了;有人把他埋葬在大衛城裡,只是沒有埋葬在列王的陵墓裡。 26 謀害他的是亞捫婦人示米押的兒子撒拔和摩押婦人示米利的兒子約薩拔。 27 至於約阿施的眾子,以及許多警戒他的話,還有他重建 神的殿的事,都記在列王記的註釋上。約阿施的兒子亞瑪謝接續他作王。

Joash Repairs the Temple(A)(B)

24 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord(C) all the years of Jehoiada the priest. Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

Some time later Joash decided to restore the temple of the Lord. He called together the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the money(D) due annually from all Israel,(E) to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites(F) did not act at once.

Therefore the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the Lord and by the assembly of Israel for the tent of the covenant law?”(G)

Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the Baals.

At the king’s command, a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the temple of the Lord. A proclamation was then issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they should bring to the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God had required of Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly,(H) dropping them into the chest until it was full. 11 Whenever the chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this regularly and collected a great amount of money. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who carried out the work required for the temple of the Lord. They hired(I) masons and carpenters to restore the Lord’s temple, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the temple.

13 The men in charge of the work were diligent, and the repairs progressed under them. They rebuilt the temple of God according to its original design and reinforced it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the Lord’s temple: articles for the service and for the burnt offerings, and also dishes and other objects of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were presented continually in the temple of the Lord.

15 Now Jehoiada was old and full of years, and he died at the age of a hundred and thirty. 16 He was buried with the kings in the City of David, because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple.

The Wickedness of Joash

17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned(J) the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols.(K) Because of their guilt, God’s anger(L) came on Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.(M)

20 Then the Spirit(N) of God came on Zechariah(O) son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper.(P) Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken(Q) you.’”

21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned(R) him to death(S) in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.(T) 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”(U)

23 At the turn of the year,[a] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people.(V) They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men,(W) the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army.(X) Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried(Y) in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad,[b] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith[c](Z) a Moabite woman.(AA) 27 The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 24:23 Probably in the spring
  2. 2 Chronicles 24:26 A variant of Jozabad
  3. 2 Chronicles 24:26 A variant of Shomer