1 约阿施登基的时候是七岁， 在耶路撒冷作王共四十年。他的母亲名叫西比亚， 是别是巴人。 2 耶何耶大祭司在世的日子， 约阿施行耶和华看为正的事。 3 耶何耶大为他娶了两个妻子， 他就生了一些儿女。 4 此外， 约阿施有意重修耶和华的殿， 5 就召集了众祭司和利未人， 对他们说： "你们要去到犹大各城， 向所有以色列人募捐金钱， 可以年年修建你们 神的殿； 你们应急速办理这事。"可是利未人却不急速办理。 6 于是王把大祭司耶何耶大召来， 对他说： "你为什么不命令利未人把耶和华的仆人摩西和以色列的会众， 为法柜的会幕规定的税款， 从犹大和耶路撒冷征收回来， 作修殿的费用呢？" 7 原来那恶妇亚他利雅的众子曾经拆毁 神的殿， 又把耶和华殿中一切分别为圣的物品用来供奉巴力。 8 于是王下令建造一个柜， 放在耶和华殿的门外； 9 又在犹大和耶路撒冷发出通告， 叫人把 神的仆人摩西， 在旷野规定以色列人缴交的税款带来， 献给耶和华。 10 众领袖和人民都欢欢喜喜把税款带来， 投进柜中， 直到他们都投完了。 11 利未人把银柜抬到王指定负责这事的人那里的时候， 他们看见税银很多， 王的书记和大祭司的属员就来把银柜倒空， 然后抬回原处。天天都是这样， 所以收集了很多银子。 12 王和耶何耶大把银子交给耶和华殿的办事人员， 他们就雇了石匠和木匠， 重建耶和华的殿， 又雇了铁匠和铜匠， 重建耶和华的殿。 13 作工的人不住工作， 重修的工程在他们手下顺利进行； 他们把 神的殿重建得和先前一样， 并且非常坚固。 14 他们完工以后， 就把剩下的银子送到王和耶何耶大面前， 用来制造耶和华殿里的器皿、供奉和献祭所用的器皿、盘子， 以及各种金银器皿。耶何耶大在世的日子， 众人都常在耶和华的殿里献燔祭。 15 耶何耶大年纪老了， 寿数满足就死了； 他死的时候， 是一百三十岁。 16 他和列王一同埋葬在大卫城里， 因为他在以色列为 神和 神的殿作了美善的事。 17 耶何耶大死后， 犹大的领袖们来朝拜王； 王听从了他们的主意。 18 他们离弃了耶和华他们列祖的 神的殿， 去事奉亚舍拉和偶像。因为他们的罪， 神的忿怒临到犹大和耶路撒冷。 19 但耶和华仍然差派先知到他们中间， 引导他们归向耶和华； 这些先知虽然警告他们， 他们却不肯听从。 20 那时， 神的灵临到耶何耶大祭司的儿子撒迦利亚身上， 他就站在众民的面前， 对他们说： " 神这样说： ‘你们为什么违背耶和华的诫命， 使你们不得亨通呢？因为你们离弃了耶和华， 所以耶和华也离弃你们。’" 21 众人要杀害撒迦利亚， 于是照着王的命令， 在耶和华殿的院子里用石头把他打死。 22 约阿施王没有记念撒迦利亚的父亲耶何耶大对他所施的恩， 反而杀了他的儿子。撒迦利亚临死的时候， 说： "愿耶和华鉴察， 并且责问你！ " 23 过了年， 亚兰的军队上来攻打约阿施； 他们侵入犹大和耶路撒冷， 杀了民间的领袖， 又把他们的一切战利品都送到大马士革王那里去。 24 亚兰的军队虽然只来了一小队人， 耶和华却把一支庞大的军队交在他们手里； 因为犹大人离弃了耶和华他们列祖的 神， 亚兰人向约阿施执行了惩罚。 25 亚兰人离开约阿施的时候， 他们丢下约阿施， 因为他受了重伤， 他的臣仆要杀害他， 为了报复耶何耶大祭司的儿子流血的仇； 他们在床上杀死他， 他就死了； 有人把他埋葬在大卫城里， 只是没有埋葬在列王的陵墓里。 26 谋害他的是亚扪妇人示米押的儿子撒拔和摩押妇人示米利的儿子约萨拔。 27 至于约阿施的众子， 以及许多警戒他的话， 还有他重建 神的殿的事， 都记在列王记的注释上。约阿施的儿子亚玛谢接续他作王。

1 A son of seven years [is] Joash in his reigning, and forty years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Zibiah of Beer-Sheba.2 And Joash doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest.3 And Jehoiada taketh for him two wives, and he begetteth sons and daughters.4 And it cometh to pass after this, it hath been with the heart of Joash to renew the house of Jehovah,5 and he gathereth the priests and the Levites, and saith to them, `Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to strengthen the house of your God sufficiently year by year, and ye, ye do haste to the matter;` and the Levites have not hasted.6 And the king calleth for Jehoiada the head, and saith to him, `Wherefore hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses, servant of Jehovah, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?7 for sons of Athaliah, the wicked one, have broken up the house of God, and also, all the holy things of the house of Jehovah they have prepared for Baalim.`8 And the king speaketh, and they make one chest, and put it at the gate of the house of Jehovah without,9 and give an intimation in Judah and in Jerusalem to bring in to Jehovah the tribute of Moses, servant of God, [laid] on Israel in the wilderness.10 And all the heads, and all the people rejoice, and they bring in, and cast into the chest, unto completion.11 And it cometh to pass, at the time one bringeth in the chest for the inspection of the king by the hand of the Levites, and at their seeing that the money [is] abundant, that a scribe of the king hath come in, and an officer of the head-priest, and they empty the chest, and take it up and turn it back unto its place; thus they have done day by day, and gather money in abundance.12 And the king and Jehoiada give it unto the doers of the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, and they are hiring hewers and artificers to renew the house of Jehovah, and also -- to artificers in iron and brass to strengthen the house of Jehovah.13 And those doing the business work, and there goeth up lengthening to the work by their hand, and they establish the house of God, by its proper measure, and strengthen it.14 And at their completing [it], they have brought in before the king and Jehoiada the rest of the money, and they make it vessels for the house of Jehovah, vessels of serving, and of offering up, and spoons, even vessels of gold and silver; and they are causing burnt-offerings to ascend in the house of Jehovah continually, all the days of Jehoiada.15 And Jehoiada is aged and satisfied with days, and dieth -- a son of a hundred and thirty years in his death,16 and they bury him in the city of David, with the kings, for he hath done good in Israel, and with God, and his house.17 And after the death of Jehoiada come in have heads of Judah, and bow themselves to the king; then hath the king hearkened unto them,18 and they forsake the house of Jehovah, God of their fathers, and serve the shrines and the idols, and there is wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt.19 And He sendeth among them prophets, to bring them back unto Jehovah, and they testify against them, and they have not given ear;20 and the Spirit of God hath clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he standeth over-against the people, and saith to them, `Thus said God, Why are ye transgressing the commands of Jehovah, and prosper not? because ye have forsaken Jehovah -- He doth forsake you.`21 And they conspire against him, and stone him with stones by the command of the king, in the court of the house of Jehovah,22 and Joash the king hath not remembered the kindness that Jehoiada his father did with him, and slayeth his son, and in his death he said, `Jehovah doth see, and require.`23 And it cometh to pass, at the turn of the year, come up hath the force of Aram against him, and they come in unto Judah and Jerusalem, and destroy all the heads of the people from the people, and all their spoil they have sent to the king of Damascus,24 for with few men have the force of Aram come in, and Jehovah hath given into their hand a mighty force for multitude, because they have forsaken Jehovah, God of their fathers; and with Joash they have executed judgments.25 And in their going from him -- for they left him with many diseases -- his servants themselves have conspired against him, for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slay him on his bed, and he dieth; and they bury him in the city of David, and have not buried him in the graves of the kings.26 And these [are] those conspiring against him, Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.27 As to his sons, and the greatness of the burden upon him, and the foundation of the house of God, lo, they are written on the `Inquiry` of the book of the Kings; and reign doth Amaziah his son in his stead.