٢ أخبار 24

١ 1 كَانَ يُوآشُ ٱبْنَ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ حِينَ مَلَكَ، وَمَلَكَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَٱسْمُ أُمِّهِ ظَبْيَةُ مِنْ بِئْرِ سَبْعٍ.

Joash was seven when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

٢ 2 وَعَمِلَ يُوآشُ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلرَّبِّ كُلَّ أَيَّامِ يَهُويَادَاعَ ٱلْكَاهِنِ.

Joash did what was right in the Lord's sight during the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest.

٣ 3 وَٱتَّخَذَ يَهُويَادَاعُ لَهُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ فَوَلَدَ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ.

Jehoiada arranged for him to marry two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

٤ 4 وَحَدَثَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِ يُوآشَ أَنْ يُجَدِّدَ بَيْتَ ٱلرَّبِّ.

Some time later, Joash decided to repair the Lord's Temple.

٥ 5 فَجَمَعَ ٱلْكَهَنَةَ وَٱللَّاوِيِّينَ وَقَالَ لَهُمُ: «ٱخْرُجُوا إِلَى مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا وَٱجْمَعُوا مِنْ جَمِيعِ إِسْرَائِيلَ فِضَّةً لِأَجْلِ تَرْمِيمِ بَيْتِ إِلَهِكُمْ مِنْ سَنَةٍ إِلَى سَنَةٍ، وَبَادِرُوا أَنْتُمْ إِلَى هَذَا ٱلْأَمْرِ». فَلَمْ يُبَادِرِ ٱللَّاوِيُّونَ.

He summoned the priests and Levites and told them, “Go to the towns of Judah and collect the yearly dues from everyone in Israel to repair the Temple of your God. Do it right away.” But the Levites did not go right away.

٦ 6 فَدَعَا ٱلْمَلِكُ يَهُويَادَاعَ ٱلرَّأْسَ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَطْلُبْ مِنَ ٱللَّاوِيِّينَ أَنْ يَأْتُوا مِنْ يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ بِجِزْيَةِ مُوسَى عَبْدِ ٱلرَّبِّ وَجَمَاعَةِ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِخَيْمَةِ ٱلشَّهَادَةِ؟

So the king called for Jehoiada the high priest and asked him, “Why haven't you ordered the Levites to collect from Judah and Jerusalem the tax that Moses, the Lord's servant, and the assembly of Israel imposed to maintain the Tent of the Law?”

٧ 7 لِأَنَّ بَنِي عَثَلْيَا ٱلْخَبِيثَةِ قَدْ هَدَمُوا بَيْتَ ٱللهِ، وَصَيَّرُوا كُلَّ أَقْدَاسِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ لِلْبَعْلِيمِ».

(The supporters of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into God's Temple and had stolen the holy objects of the Lord's Temple and used them to worship the Baals.)

٨ 8 وَأَمَرَ ٱلْمَلِكُ فَعَمِلُوا صُنْدُوقًا وَجَعَلُوهُ فِي بَابِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ خَارِجًا،

The king ordered a collection chest to be made and placed outside the entrance to the Lord's Temple.

٩ 9 وَنَادَوْا فِي يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ بِأَنْ يَأْتُوا إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ بِجِزْيَةِ مُوسَى عَبْدِ ٱلرَّبِّ ٱلْمَفْرُوضَةِ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ.

A decree was proclaimed throughout Judea and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, the Lord's servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness.

١٠ 10 فَفَرِحَ كُلُّ ٱلرُّؤَسَاءِ وَكُلُّ ٱلشَّعْبِ وَأَدْخَلُوا وَأَلْقَوْا فِي ٱلصُّنْدُوقِ حَتَّى ٱمْتَلَأَ.

All the leaders and all the people were glad to do so and brought their taxes. They dropped them in the chest until it was full.

١١ 11 وَحِينَمَا كَانَ يُؤْتَى بِٱلصُّنْدُوقِ إِلَى وَكَالَةِ ٱلْمَلِكِ بِيَدِ ٱللَّاوِيِّينَ، عِنْدَمَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّ ٱلْفِضَّةَ قَدْ كَثُرَتْ، كَانَ يَأْتِي كَاتِبُ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَوَكِيلُ ٱلْكَاهِنِ ٱلرَّأْسِ وَيُفْرِغَانِ ٱلصُّنْدُوقَ، ثُمَّ يَحْمِلَانِهِ وَيَرُدَّانِهِ إِلَى مَكَانِهِ. هَكَذَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ يَوْمًا فَيَوْمًا، حَتَّى جَمَعُوا فِضَّةً بِكَثْرَةٍ.

Every so often the Levites took the chest to the king's officials. When they saw that it contained a large amount of money, the king's secretary and the chief officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest. Then they would carry it back to its place. They did this every day and collected a great deal of money.

١٢ 12 وَدَفَعَهَا ٱلْمَلِكُ وَيَهُويَادَاعُ لِعَامِلِي شُغْلِ خِدْمَةِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَكَانُوا يَسْتَأْجِرُونَ نَحَّاتِينَ وَنَجَّارِينَ لِتَجْدِيدِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَلِلْعَامِلِينَ فِي ٱلْحَدِيدِ وَٱلنُّحَاسِ أَيْضًا لِتَرْمِيمِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

Then the king and Jehoiada would allocate the money of those supervising the work on the Lord's Temple to hire stonecutters and carpenters to restore the Lord's Temple and craftsmen in iron and bronze to repair the Lord's Temple.

١٣ 13 فَعَمِلَ عَامِلُو ٱلشُّغْلِ وَنَجَحَ ٱلْعَمَلُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ، وَأَقَامُوا بَيْتَ ٱللهِ عَلَى رَسْمِهِ وَثَبَّتُوهُ.

The men doing the repairs worked hard and made good progress. They restored God's Temple to its original condition and strengthened it.

١٤ 14 وَلَمَّا أَكْمَلُوا أَتَوْا إِلَى مَا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَيَهُويَادَاعَ بِبَقِيَّةِ ٱلْفِضَّةِ وَعَمِلُوهَا آنِيَةً لِبَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، آنِيَةَ خِدْمَةٍ وَإِصْعَادٍ وَصُحُونًا وَآنِيَةَ ذَهَبٍ وَفِضَّةٍ. وَكَانُوا يُصْعِدُونَ مُحْرَقَاتٍ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ دَائِمًا كُلَّ أَيَّامِ يَهُويَادَاعَ.

When they finished, they returned the money that was left to the king and Jehoiada, and with it utensils were made for the Lord's Temple, both for the worship services and for the burnt offerings, also bowls for incense and vessels of gold and silver. Burnt offerings were regularly offered in the Lord's Temple regularly throughout Jehoiada's lifetime.

١٥ 15 وَشَاخَ يَهُويَادَاعُ وَشَبِعَ مِنَ ٱلْأَيَّامِ وَمَاتَ. كَانَ ٱبْنَ مِئَةٍ وَثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً عِنْدَ وَفَاتِهِ.

Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130, having lived a full life.

١٦ 16 فَدَفَنُوهُ فِي مَدِينَةِ دَاوُدَ مَعَ ٱلْمُلُوكِ لِأَنَّهُ عَمِلَ خَيْرًا فِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَمَعَ ٱللهِ وَبَيْتِهِ.

He was buried with the kings in the City of David, for all the good he had done in Israel for God and his Temple.

١٧ 17 وَبَعْدَ مَوْتِ يَهُويَادَاعَ جَاءَ رُؤَسَاءُ يَهُوذَا وَسَجَدُوا لِلْمَلِكِ. حِينَئِذٍ سَمِعَ ٱلْمَلِكُ لَهُمْ.

But after the death of Jehoiada, the leaders of Judah came to swear their loyalty to the king, and he listened to their advice.

١٨ 18 وَتَرَكُوا بَيْتَ ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِ آبَائِهِمْ وَعَبَدُوا ٱلسَّوَارِيَ وَٱلْأَصْنَامَ، فَكَانَ غَضَبٌ عَلَى يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ لِأَجْلِ إِثْمِهِمْ هَذَا.

They abandoned the Temple of the Lord, the God of their forefathers, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Judah and Jerusalem were punished because of their sin.

١٩ 19 وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَنْبِيَاءَ لِإِرْجَاعِهِمْ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ، وَأَشْهَدُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَلَمْ يُصْغُوا.

The Lord sent prophets to bring the people back to him and to warn them; but they refused to listen.

٢٠ 20 وَلَبِسَ رُوحُ ٱللهِ زَكَرِيَّا بْنَ يَهُويَادَاعَ ٱلْكَاهِنَ فَوَقَفَ فَوْقَ ٱلشَّعْبِ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هَكَذَا يَقُولُ ٱللهُ: لِمَاذَا تَتَعَدَّوْنَ وَصَايَا ٱلرَّبِّ فَلَا تُفْلِحُونَ؟ لِأَنَّكُمْ تَرَكْتُمُ ٱلرَّبَّ قَدْ تَرَكَكُمْ».

Then the Spirit of God came to Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and told them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you break the Lord's commandments so that you cannot be successful? Since you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.’”

٢١ 21 فَفَتَنُوا عَلَيْهِ وَرَجَمُوهُ بِحِجَارَةٍ بِأَمْرِ ٱلْمَلِكِ فِي دَارِ بَيْتِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

Then the leaders hatched a plot to kill Zechariah, and on the orders of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord's Temple.

٢٢ 22 وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ يُوآشُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْمَعْرُوفَ ٱلَّذِي عَمِلَهُ يَهُويَادَاعُ أَبُوهُ مَعَهُ، بَلْ قَتَلَ ٱبْنَهُ. وَعِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ قَالَ: «ٱلرَّبُّ يَنْظُرُ وَيُطَالِبُ».

King Joash showed he had forgotten all about the loyalty and love shown to him by Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, by killing his son. As he died, Zechariah cried out, “May the Lord see what you've done and pay you back!”

٢٣ 23 وَفِي مَدَارِ ٱلسَّنَةِ صَعِدَ عَلَيْهِ جَيْشُ أَرَامَ وَأَتَوْا إِلَى يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ وَأَهْلَكُوا كُلَّ رُؤَسَاءِ ٱلشَّعْبِ مِنَ ٱلشَّعْبِ، وَجَمِيعَ غَنِيمَتِهِمْ أَرْسَلُوهَا إِلَى مَلِكِ دِمَشْقَ.

At the end of the year, the Aramean army came to attack Joash. They invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the people's leaders, and sent all their plunder back to the king of Damascus.

٢٤ 24 لِأَنَّ جَيْشَ أَرَامَ جَاءَ بِشِرْذِمَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ، وَدَفَعَ ٱلرَّبُّ لِيَدِهِمْ جَيْشًا كَثِيرًا جِدًّا لِأَنَّهُمْ تَرَكُوا ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَ آبَائِهِمْ. فَأَجْرَوْا قَضَاءً عَلَى يُوآشَ.

Even though the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord gave them the victory over a very large army, because Judah had abandoned the Lord, the God of their forefathers. In this way they punished Joash.

٢٥ 25 وَعِنْدَ ذَهَابِهِمْ عَنْهُ، لِأَنَّهُمْ تَرَكُوهُ بِأَمْرَاضٍ كَثِيرَةٍ، فَتَنَ عَلَيْهِ عَبِيدُهُ مِنْ أَجْلِ دِمَاءِ بَنِي يَهُويَادَاعَ ٱلْكَاهِنِ، وَقَتَلُوهُ عَلَى سَرِيرِهِ فَمَاتَ. فَدَفَنُوهُ فِي مَدِينَةِ دَاوُدَ، وَلَمْ يَدْفِنُوهُ فِي قُبُورِ ٱلْمُلُوكِ.

When the Arameans departed, they left Joash badly wounded. But then his own officers plotted against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. He was buried in the City of David, but not in the cemetery of the kings.

٢٦ 26 وَهَذَانِ هُمَا ٱلْفَاتِنَانِ عَلَيْهِ: زَابَادُ بْنُ شِمْعَةَ ٱلْعَمُّونِيَّةِ، وَيَهُوزَابَادُ بْنُ شِمْرِيتَ ٱلْمُوآبِيَّةِ.

Those who plotted against him were Zabad, son of Shimeath, an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith, a Moabite woman.

٢٧ 27 وَأَمَّا بَنُوهُ وَكَثْرَةُ مَا حُمِلَ عَلَيْهِ وَمَرَمَّةُ بَيْتِ ٱللهِ، هَا هِيَ مَكْتُوبَةٌ فِي مِدْرَسِ سِفْرِ ٱلْمُلُوكِ. وَمَلَكَ أَمَصْيَا ٱبْنُهُ عِوَضًا عَنْهُ

The story of the sons of Joash, as well as the many prophecies about him and about the restoration of God's Temple, are recorded in the Commentary on the Book of the Kings. His son Amaziah took over as king.