1 Sete anos depois de Jeú se ter tornado rei de Israel, Joás tornou-se rei de Judá. Reinou em Jerusalém 40 anos. A sua mãe era Zibia de Berseba. 2 Joás fez o que era reto aos olhos do Senhor ao longo de todos os anos em que o sumo sacerdote Jeoiada o instruiu. 3 Mesmo assim, não destruiu os santuários pagãos que foram levantados nas colinas; o povo continuou ainda a sacrificar e a queimar ali incenso.

4,5 Um dia, o rei Joás disse aos sacerdotes: "O edifício do templo precisa de grandes reparações. Quando alguém trouxer uma dádiva ao Senhor, seja uma contribuição regular ou uma oferta especial, utilizem-na para pagar as obras de restauração que forem necessárias."

6 No entanto, ainda no vigésimo terceiro ano do seu reinado, o templo mantinha-se no mesmo estado. 7 Por isso, Joás mandou chamar Jeoiada e os outros sacerdotes e perguntou-lhes: "Por que razão ainda nada fizeram para restaurar o templo? Não utilizem mais dinheiro nenhum para cobrir as vossas necessidades pessoais. Daqui em diante, tudo o que for recebido deverá ser empregado com o fim de restaurar o templo." 8 Os sacerdotes concordaram estabelecer um fundo especial para a reparação do edifício e não receber mais donativos que revertessem para si próprios.

9 Jeoiada, o sacerdote, preparou uma grande arca com uma abertura na tampa e colocou-a ao lado do altar, à direita de quem entrava no templo. Os sacerdotes com a função de porteiros colocavam aí todas as contribuições do povo. 10 Sempre que a arca ficava cheia, o tesoureiro real e o sacerdote contavam o dinheiro e punham-no em sacos. 11 Davam-no depois ao mestre-de-obras para pagar aos carpinteiros, 12 aos pedreiros, aos marceneiros, aos canteiros, e também para comprar os materiais necessários às obras da casa do Senhor.

13 Nenhum desse dinheiro era usado para adquirir fosse o que fosse em matéria de instrumentos ou recipientes em prata ou ouro, fossem garfos, bacias ou taças. 14 Todo ele ia exclusivamente para os trabalhos de restauração. 15 Também não eram exigidas contas aos encarregados da obra, porque atuavam com fidelidade. 16 Apenas o dinheiro proveniente de contribuições por ofertas de culpa e sacrifícios pelo pecado era dado aos sacerdotes para o seu uso pessoal; esse não era colocado na arca das ofertas.

17 Por essa altura, o rei Hazael de Aram entrou em guerra com Gate e conquistou-a. Depois virou-se contra Jerusalém para atacar. 18 O rei Joás pegou em todos os objetos sagrados que os seus antepassados (Jeosafá, Jeorão e Acazias, reis de Judá) tinham consagrado, e no que ele próprio dera, assim como no ouro que se achou nos tesouros do templo e do palácio, e enviou tudo a Hazael. Desta forma, este último desistiu do ataque.

19 O resto da história do reinado de Joás está narrado no Livro das Crónicas dos Reis de Judá. 20 Os seus conselheiros conspiraram contra ele e assassinaram-no na sua residência real em Bete-Milo, no caminho para Sila. 21 Os assassinos foram Jozabade, filho de Simeate, e Jeozabade, filho de Somer, ambos seus auxiliares de confiança. Foi sepultado no cemitério real em Jerusalém. O seu filho Amazias reinou em seu lugar.

1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,*12.4 dedicated things: or, holy things: Heb. holinesses*12.4 that every…: Heb. of the souls of his estimation*12.4 cometh…: Heb. ascendeth upon the heart of a man 5 Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found. 6 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.*12.6 three…: Heb. twentieth year and third year 7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house. 8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. 9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.*12.9 door: Heb. threshold 10 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.*12.10 scribe: or, secretary*12.10 put…: Heb. bound up 11 And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,*12.11 laid…: Heb. brought it forth 12 And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.*12.12 was…: Heb. went forth 13 Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD: 14 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD. 15 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully. 16 The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests’.

17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18 And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.*12.18 went…: Heb. went up

19 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 20 And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.*12.20 the house…: or, Bethmillo 21 For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.