2 Chronicles 24

1 Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.

1 約阿施登基的時候年七歲，在耶路撒冷作王四十年。他母親名叫西比亞，是別是巴人。

2 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

2 祭司耶何耶大在世的時候，約阿施行耶和華眼中看為正的事。

3 Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he had sons and daughters.

3 耶何耶大為他娶了兩個妻，並且生兒養女。

4 Some time later, Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.

4 此後，約阿施有意重修耶和華的殿，

5 So he gathered the priests and Levites and said, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the money due annually from all Israel, to repair the house of your God. Do it quickly.” The Levites, however, did not make haste.

5 便召聚眾祭司和利未人，吩咐他們說：「你們要往猶大各城去，使以色列眾人捐納銀子，每年可以修理你們上帝的殿；你們要急速辦理這事。」只是利未人不急速辦理。

6 So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?”

6 王召了大祭司耶何耶大來，對他說：「從前耶和華的僕人摩西，為法櫃的帳幕與以色列會眾所定的捐項，你為何不叫利未人照這例從猶大和耶路撒冷帶來作殿的費用呢？」（

7 For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

7 因為那惡婦亞她利雅的眾子曾拆毀上帝的殿，又用耶和華殿中分別為聖的物供奉巴力。）

8 At the king’s command a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the house of the LORD.

8 於是王下令，眾人做了一櫃，放在耶和華殿的門外，

9 And a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that they were to bring to the LORD the tax imposed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness.

9 又通告猶大和耶路撒冷的百姓，要將上帝僕人摩西在曠野所吩咐以色列人的捐項給耶和華送來。

10 All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full.

10 眾首領和百姓都歡歡喜喜地將銀子送來，投入櫃中，直到捐完。

11 Whenever the chest was brought by the Levites to the king’s overseers and they saw that there was a large amount of money, the royal scribe and the officer of the high priest would come and empty the chest and carry it back to its place. They did this daily and gathered the money in abundance.

11 利未人見銀子多了，就把櫃抬到王所派的司事面前；王的書記和大祭司的屬員來將櫃倒空，仍放在原處。日日都是這樣，積蓄的銀子甚多。

12 Then the king and Jehoiada would give the money to those who supervised the labor on the house of the LORD to hire stonecutters and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, as well as workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD.

12 王與耶何耶大將銀子交給耶和華殿裏辦事的人，他們就雇了石匠、木匠重修耶和華的殿，又雇了鐵匠、銅匠修理耶和華的殿。

13 So the workmen labored, and in their hands the repair work progressed. They restored the house of God according to its specifications, and they reinforced it.

13 工人操作，漸漸修成，將上帝殿修造得與從前一樣，而且甚是堅固。

14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the house of the LORD—utensils for the service and for the burnt offerings, dishes, and other objects of gold and silver. Throughout the days of Jehoiada, burnt offerings were presented regularly in the house of the LORD.

14 工程完了，他們就把其餘的銀子拿到王與耶何耶大面前，用以製造耶和華殿供奉所用的器皿和調羹，並金銀的器皿。 耶何耶大在世的時候，眾人常在耶和華殿裏獻燔祭。

15 When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130.

15 耶何耶大年紀老邁，日子滿足而死。死的時候年一百三十歲，

16 And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.

16 葬在大衛城列王的墳墓裏；因為他在以色列人中行善，又事奉上帝，修理上帝的殿。

17 After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.

17 耶何耶大死後，猶大的眾首領來朝拜王；王就聽從他們。

18 They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherah poles and idols. So wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

18 他們離棄耶和華－他們列祖上帝的殿，去事奉亞舍拉和偶像；因他們這罪，就有忿怒臨到猶大和耶路撒冷。

19 Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them, but they would not listen.

19 但上帝仍遣先知到他們那裏，引導他們歸向耶和華。這先知警戒他們，他們卻不肯聽。

20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’”

20 那時，上帝的靈感動祭司耶何耶大的兒子撒迦利亞，他就站在上面對民說：「上帝如此說：你們為何干犯耶和華的誡命，以致不得亨通呢？因為你們離棄耶和華，所以他也離棄你們。」

21 But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.

21 眾民同心謀害撒迦利亞，就照王的吩咐，在耶和華殿的院內用石頭打死他。

22 Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.”

22 這樣，約阿施王不想念撒迦利亞的父親耶何耶大向自己所施的恩，殺了他的兒子。撒迦利亞臨死的時候說：「願耶和華鑒察伸冤！」

23 In the spring, the army of Aram went to war against Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people, and they sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus.

23 滿了一年，亞蘭的軍兵上來攻擊約阿施，來到猶大和耶路撒冷，殺了民中的眾首領，將所掠的財貨送到大馬士革王那裏。

24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, judgment was executed on Joash.

24 亞蘭的軍兵雖來了一小隊，耶和華卻將大隊的軍兵交在他們手裏，是因猶大人離棄耶和華－他們列祖的上帝，所以藉亞蘭人懲罰約阿施。

25 And when the Arameans had withdrawn, they left Joash severely wounded. His own servants conspired against him for shedding the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

25 亞蘭人離開約阿施的時候，他患重病；臣僕背叛他，要報祭司耶何耶大兒子流血之仇，殺他在床上，葬他在大衛城，只是不葬在列王的墳墓裏。

26 Those who conspired against Joash were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.

26 背叛他的是亞捫婦人示米押的兒子撒拔和摩押婦人示米利的兒子約薩拔。

27 The accounts of the sons of Joash and the many pronouncements about him, and of the restoration of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place.

27 至於他的眾子和他所受的警戒，並他重修上帝殿的事，都寫在列王的傳上。他兒子亞瑪謝接續他作王。