1 Joás tinha sete anos quando começou a reinar. Seu reinado, em Jerusalém, durou quarenta anos. Sua mãe chamava-se Sébia; era ela de Bersabéia.2 Joás fez o bem aos olhos do Senhor durante toda a vida do sacerdote Jojada,3 o qual lhe deu por esposas duas mulheres, das quais teve filhos e filhas.4 Depois disso, Joás tomou a peito restaurar o templo do Senhor.5 Convocou os sacerdotes e levitas e lhes disse: Ide e percorrei as cidades de Judá, e delas recolhereis anualmente dinheiro dos israelitas para reparar o templo de vosso Deus. Executai isso com presteza. Mas os levitas não se apressaram.6 Então o rei mandou vir o sumo sacerdote Jojada e lhe disse: Por que não cuidaste que os levitas trouxessem de Judá e de Jerusalém a contribuição imposta por Moisés, servo do Senhor, à comunidade de Israel para a tenda do testemunho?7 A ímpia Atalia e seus filhos destruíram a casa de Deus: fizeram servir ao culto de Baal todos os objetos sagrados do templo do Senhor.8 Então o rei ordenou que se fizesse um cofre e o colocassem na parte externa da porta do templo.9 Em seguida, publicou-se em Judá e em Jerusalém que levassem ao Senhor a contribuição imposta a Israel no deserto, por Moisés, servo do Senhor.10 Todos os chefes e todo o povo, cheios de alegria, vieram colocar dinheiro no cofre até que este estivesse cheio.11 Cada vez que, por meio dos levitas, era o cofre levado para a inspeção do rei - o que acontecia quando o dinheiro se acumulava -, o escriba real e um comissário do sumo sacerdote esvaziavam-no e depois os levitas iam colocá-lo no lugar. Assim faziam eles cada vez, e recolheram, em abundância, dinheiro,12 que o rei e Jojada entregavam ao empreiteiro das obras do templo. Este contratava os carpinteiros, os canteiros e os trabalhadores que modelavam o ferro e o bronze, para restaurar e reparar o templo do Senhor.13 Os empreiteiros fizeram com que os reparos fossem acabados pelos seus cuidados, e restabeleceram o templo em seu primeiro estado e o consolidaram.14 Terminado o trabalho, devolveram na presença do rei e de Jojada o restante do dinheiro, com o qual fabricaram utensílios para o serviço do templo e para os holocaustos, assim como taças e outros objetos de ouro e prata. Enquanto viveu Jojada, foram regularmente oferecidos os holocaustos no templo do Senhor.15 Jojada, velho e cheio de dias, morreu. Tinha cento e trinta anos.16 Sepultaram-no na cidade de Davi, com os reis, pois ele tinha feito o bem em Israel para com o Senhor e seu templo.17 Depois da morte de Jojada, os chefes de Judá vieram e se prostraram diante do rei, e o rei os ouviu.18 Abandonaram o templo do Senhor, Deus de seus pais, e se puseram a adorar as imagens de asserá e outros ídolos, e tamanhas faltas atraíram a ira divina contra Judá e Jerusalém.19 Enviou-lhes o Senhor profetas para os converterem a ele; porém, pregaram em vão, e não foram escutados.20 Então o espírito de Deus apossou-se de Zacarias, filho do sacerdote Jojada, o qual se apresentou diante do povo: Eis, disse ele, o que diz o Senhor: Por que transgredis as ordens do Senhor? Nada conseguireis. Porque abandonastes o Senhor, o Senhor vos abandonará.21 Mas eles se revoltaram contra ele e o apedrejaram por ordem do rei no átrio do templo do Senhor.22 Joás, esquecido dos benefícios que Jojada lhe dispensara, mandou matar o filho. Porem, ao expirar, disse Zacarias: Que o Senhor o veja, e faça vingança!23 Ao fim de um ano, o exército dos sírios atacou Joás; invadiu Judá e Jerusalém, massacrou os chefes do povo e enviou todo o seu despojo ao rei de Damasco.24 Embora os sírios tivessem vindo em pequeno número, o Senhor lhes entregou um enorme exército, porque Judá tinha abandonado o Senhor, Deus de seus pais. Assim os sírios fizeram justiça a Joás.25 Apenas se afastaram, deixando-o como presa de grandes sofrimentos, seus homens, revoltados contra ele por causa do assassínio do filho do sacerdote Jojada, assassinaram-no em seu leito. Assim morreu e sepultaram-no na cidade de Davi, mas não nos sepulcros dos reis.26 Os conjurados eram Zabad, filho de Semaat, mulher amonita, e Jozabad, filho de Samarit, mulher moabita.27 Tudo o que se refere a seus filhos, os numerosos oráculos proferidos contra ele e a restauração do templo estão relatados nas memórias do livro dos Reis. Seu filho Amasias sucedeu-lhe no trono.

1 Seven years old was Joash when he became king, and forty years did he reign in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Zibyah of Beer–sheba’.2 And Joash did what is right in the eyes of the Lord, all the days of Yehoyada’ the priest.3 And Yehoyada’ took for himself two wives, and he begat sons and daughters.4 And it came to pass after this, that Yoash had it in his mind to renew the house of the Lord.5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and ye shall make haste in this matter. But the Levites made no haste.6 Then called the king for Yehoyada’ the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required from the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the contribution fixed by Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of the testimony?7 For the sons of the wicked ‘Athalyahu have made breaches in the house of God; and also the holy things of the house of the Lord have they applied to the Be’alim.8 And at the king’s order they made a chest, and placed it at the gate of the house of the Lord on the outside.9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the contribution fixed by Moses the servant of God upon Israel in the wilderness.10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and they brought it in, and cast it into the chest, until it was full.11 Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king’s office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, then came the king’s scribe and the high–priest’s officer and emptied the chest, and took it up, and brought it back to its place. Thus did they day by day, and gathered money in abundance.12 And the king and Yehoyada’ gave it to those who overlooked the service of the house of the Lord, and these hired masons and carpenters to renew the house of the Lord, and also to the workers in iron and copper to repair the house of the Lord.13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was restored through their means, and they replaced the house of God in its former state, and strengthened it.14 And when they had completed it, they brought before the king and Yehoyada’ the rest of the money, and they made of it vessels for the house of the Lord, the vessels of the service and for the sacrificing, and the spoons, and other vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt–offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Yehoyada’.15 And Yehoyada’ became old, and was full of days, and died: he was old one hundred and thirty years when he died.16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings; because he had done a good thing in Israel, and toward God, and his house.17 But after the death of Yehoyada’ came the princes of Judah, and bowed themselves down to the king. Then did the king hearken unto them.18 And they forsook the house of the Lord the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols: and there came wrath over Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness.19 And he sent prophets among them, to bring them back again unto the Lord; and they gave them warning; but they did not give ear.20 And the spirit of God endued Zechariah the son of Yehoyada’ the priest, and he stood up above the people, and he said unto them, Thus hath said the true God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord? ye cannot prosper so; because as ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the court of the house of the Lord.22 And king Joash did not remember the kindness which Yehoyada’ his father had shown to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord will see this, and require my blood.23 And it came to pass at the expiration of the year, that the army of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and all their spoil they sent off unto the king of Damascus.24 Indeed with a small company of men did the army of Syria come; but the Lord delivered into their hand an army exceedingly numerous; because they had forsaken the Lord the God of their fathers. And on Joash they executed punishment.25 And when these were gone away from him––for they left him suffering with great diseases––his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Yehoyada’ the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.26 And these are those that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shim’ath the ‘Ammonitess, and Yehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess.27 Now concerning his sons, and the great prophecy concerning him, and the founding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amazyahu his son became king in his stead.