1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, of Beersheba. 2 Joash did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

4 After this, Joash intended to restore Yahweh’s house. 5 He gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, "Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather money to repair the house of your God from all Israel from year to year. See that you expedite this matter." However the Levites didn’t do it right away. 6 The king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, "Why haven’t you required of the Levites to bring in the tax of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the assembly of Israel, out of Judah and out of Jerusalem, for the Tent of the Testimony?" 7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up God’s house; and they also gave all the dedicated things of Yahweh’s house to the Baals.

8 So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of Yahweh’s house. 9 They made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in for Yahweh the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness. 10 All the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had filled it. 11 Whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance. 12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of Yahweh’s house. They hired masons and carpenters to restore Yahweh’s house, and also those who worked iron and bronze to repair Yahweh’s house. 13 So the workmen worked, and the work of repairing went forward in their hands. They set up God’s house as it was designed, and strengthened it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, from which were made vessels for Yahweh’s house, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, including spoons and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in Yahweh’s house continually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died. He was one hundred thirty years old when he died. 16 They buried him in David’s city among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them. 18 They abandoned the house of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and the idols, so wrath came on Judah and Jerusalem for this their guiltiness. 19 Yet he sent prophets to them to bring them again to Yahweh, and they testified against them; but they would not listen.

20 The Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said to them, "God says, ‘Why do you disobey Yahweh’s commandments, so that you can’t prosper? Because you have forsaken Yahweh, he has also forsaken you.’"

21 They conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of Yahweh’s house. 22 Thus Joash the king didn’t remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, "May Yahweh look at it, and repay it."

23 At the end of the year, the army of the Syrians came up against him. They came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all their plunder to the king of Damascus. 24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and Yahweh delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

25 When they had departed from him (for they left him seriously wounded), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed, and he died. They buried him in David’s city, but they didn’t bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26 These are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 Now concerning his sons, the greatness of the burdens laid on him, and the rebuilding of God’s house, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

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。