2 أخبار 24

١ 1 كَانَ يُوآشُ فِي السَّابِعَةِ مِنْ عُمْرِهِ حِينَ تَوَلَّى الْمُلْكَ، وَدَامَ حُكْمُهُ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَاسْمُ 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 وَصَنَعَ يُوآشُ مَا هُوَ صَالِحٌ فِي عَيْنَيِ الرَّبِّ كُلَّ أَيَّامِ يَهُويَادَاعَ الْكَاهِنِ.

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

٣ 3 وَاتَّخَذَ يَهُويَادَاعُ لِيُوآشَ امْرَأَتَيْنِ أَنْجَبَتَا لَهُ بَنِينَ وَبَنَاتٍ.

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

٤ 4 وَإِذْ كَانَ فِي عَزْمِ يُوآشَ أَنْ يُرَمِّمَ بَيْتَ الرَّبِّ،

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

٥ 5 جَمَعَ الْكَهَنَةَ وَاللّاوِيِّينَ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «انْطَلِقُوا إِلَى مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا وَاجْمَعُوا الْمُخَصَّصَاتِ السَّنَوِيَّةَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، فِضَّةً مِنْ أَجْلِ تَرْمِيمِ بَيْتِ إِلَهِكُمْ، وَبَادِرُوا بِتَنْفِيذِ ذَلِكَ الآنَ». غَيْرَ أَنَّ اللّاوِيِّينَ تَقَاعَسُوا عَنْ إِنْجَازِ الأَمْرِ.

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 فَاسْتَدْعَى الْمَلِكُ يَهُويَادَاعَ رَئِيسَ الْكَهَنَةِ وَسَأَلَهُ: «لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَطْلُبْ مِنَ اللّاوِيِّينَ أَنْ يَجْمَعُوا مِنْ بَنِي يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ الضَّرِيبَةَ الَّتِي فَرَضَهَا مُوسَى عَبْدُ الرَّبِّ وَجَمَاعَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِصِيَانَةِ خَيْمَةِ الشَّهَادَةِ؟».

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 وَكَانَ أَبْنَاءُ عَثَلْيَا الْخَبِيثَةِ قَدْ هَدَمُوا بَيْتَ اللهِ وَاسْتَخْدَمُوا مُقَدَّسَاتِ الْهَيْكَلِ لِعِبَادَةِ الْبَعْلِيمِ.

(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 الْمَلِكُ فَصَنَعُوا صُنْدُوقاً وَضَعُوهُ عِنْدَ الْمَدْخَلِ الْخَارِجِيِّ لِهَيْكَلِ الرَّبِّ،

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

٩ 9 وَأَذَاعُوا فِي كُلِّ أَرْجَاءِ يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ دَاعِينَ الشَّعْبَ أَنْ يُقَدِّمُوا لِلرَّبِّ الضَّرِيبَةَ الَّتِي فَرَضَهَا مُوسَى عَبْدُ الرَّبِّ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ.

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 الرُّؤَسَاءِ وَسَائِرُ الشَّعْبِ، وَتَبَرَّعُوا بِالْمَالِ حَتَّى امْتَلأَ الصُّنْدُوقُ.

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 وَكُلَّمَا كَثُرَتِ الْفِضَّةُ فِي الصُّنْدُوقِ يَجِيءُ اللّاوِيُّونَ وَيَحْمِلُونَهُ إِلَى مَقَرِّ وِكَالَةِ مُوَظَّفِي الْمَلِكِ، فَيَأْتِي كَاتِبُ الْمَلِكِ وَوَكِيلُ رَئِيسِ الْكَهَنَةِ، وَيُفْرِغَانِ الصُّنْدُوقَ، ثُمَّ يَحْمِلانِهِ وَيَرُدَّانِهِ إِلَى مَوْضِعِهِ. هَكَذَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ حَتَّى جَمَعُوا فِضَّةً وَفِيرَةً،

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 دَفَعَهَا الْمَلِكُ وَيَهُويَادَاعُ لِلْمُشْرِفِينَ عَلَى أَعْمَالِ خِدْمَةِ بَيْتِ الرَّبِّ، فَكَانَ هَؤُلاءِ يَسْتَأْجِرُونَ نَحَّاتِينَ وَنَجَّارِينَ وَحَدَّادِينَ لِصِيَانَةِ هَيْكَلِ الرَّبِّ وَتَرْمِيمِهِ.

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 وَجَدَّ الْمُشْرِفُونَ فِي عَمَلِهِمْ فَأَفْلَحُوا، وَأَعَادُوا تَرْمِيمَ بَيْتِ الرَّبِّ بِمُوْجِبِ رَسْمِهِ الأَصْلِيِّ، 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 تَمَّ إِنْجَازُ الْعَمَلِ حَمَلُوا مَا تَبَقَّى مِنْ فِضَّةٍ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ وَيَهُويَادَاعَ، فَصَاغُوا آنِيَةً لِلْهَيْكَلِ وَلِتَقْرِيبِ الْمُحْرَقَاتِ، وَصُحُوناً وَآنِيَةَ ذَهَبٍ وَفِضَّةٍ. وَوَاظَبُوا عَلَى إِصْعَادِ الْمُحْرَقَاتِ فِي بَيْتِ الرَّبِّ بِصُورَةٍ دَائِمَةٍ 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 وَطَعَنَ فِي السِّنِّ، ثُمَّ مَاتَ بَعْدَ أَنْ بَلَغَ مِنَ الْعُمْرِ مِئَةً وَثَلاثِينَ سَنَةً،

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

١٦ 16 فَدَفَنُوهُ فِي مَدِينَةِ دَاوُدَ فِي مَقَابِرِ الْمُلُوكِ، اعْتِرَافاً بِفَضْلِهِ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ وَمَا بَذَلَهُ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فِي خِدْمَةِ اللهِ وَهَيْكَلِهِ.

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 وَفَاةِ يَهُويَاداعَ جَاءَ قَادَةُ يَهُوذَا وَأَظْهَرُوا وَلاءَهُمْ لِلْمَلِكِ وَأَمَالُوا قَلْبَهُ،

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 فَهَجَرُوا هَيْكَلَ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِ آبَائِهِمْ، وَعَبَدُوا تَمَاثِيلَ عَشْتَارُوثَ وَالأَصْنَامَ، فَانْصَبَّ غَضَبُ اللهِ عَلَى يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ مِنْ جَرَّاءِ 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 اللهُ أَنْبِيَاءَ يُنْذِرُونَهُمْ وَيَدْعُونَهُمْ لِلتَّوْبَةِ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَرْتَدِعُوا

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

٢٠ 20 فَحَلَّ رُوحُ اللهِ عَلَى زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ يَهُويَادَاعَ الْكَاهِنِ، فَوَقَفَ أَمَامَ الشَّعْبِ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «هَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ اللهُ: لِمَاذَا تَتَعَدَّوْنَ أَوَامِرَ الرَّبِّ فَلا تُفْلِحُوا؟ لَقَدْ نَبَذْتُمُ الرَّبَّ فَنَبَذَكُمُ الرَّبُّ».

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 فَكَادُوا لَهُ حَتَّى أَمَرَ الْمَلِكُ بِرَجْمِهِ بِالْحِجَارَةِ فِي سَاحَةِ الْهَيْكَلِ.

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 يَذْكُرِ الْمَلِكُ الْفَضْلَ الَّذِي أَسْدَاهُ إِلَيْهِ يَهُويَادَاعُ، بَلْ قَتَلَ ابْنَهُ، وَفِيمَا هُوَ يَلْفِظُ أَنْفَاسَهُ قَالَ: «لِيَنْظُرِ الرَّبُّ وَيُجْرِ قَضَاءَهُ».

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 خِتَامِ السَّنَةِ الْعِبْرِيَّةِ هَاجَمَ جَيْشُ الأَرَامِيِّينَ يُوآشَ، وَأَغَارُوا عَلَى يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ، وَأَفْنَوْا قَادَةَ الشَّعْبِ، وَأَرْسَلُوا مَا اسْتَوْلَوْا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ غَنَائِمَ 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 وَمَعَ أَنَّ جَيْشَ الأَرَامِيِّينَ لَمْ يَكُنْ سِوَى شِرْذِمَةٍ قَلِيلَةٍ، فَإِنَّ الرَّبَّ نَصَرَهُمْ عَلَى جَيْشٍ كَبِيرٍ، لأَنَّ بَنِي يَهُوذَا قَدْ تَخَلَّوْا عَنِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِ آبَائِهِمْ، فَأَنْزَلُوا قَضَاءَ الرَّبِّ بِيُوآشَ.

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 وَعِنْدَمَا انْسَحَبَ جَيْشُ الأَرَامِيِّينَ كَانَ يُوآشُ يُعَانِي مِمَّا تَكَبَّدَهُ مِنْ جِرَاحٍ فِي الْقِتَالِ، فَتَآمَرَ عَلَيْهِ ضَابِطَانِ مِنْ رِجَالِهِ ثَأْراً لِدِمَاءِ ابْنِ يَهُويَادَاعَ الْكَاهِنِ، وَقَتَلاهُ عَلَى سَرِيرِهِ، فَدَفَنُوهُ فِي مَدِينَةِ دَاوُدَ، وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ فِي مَقَابِرِ الْمُلُوكِ.

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 أَمَّا الْمُتَآمِرَانِ عَلَيْهِ فَهُمَا زَابَادُ ابْنُ شِمْعَةَ الْعَمُّونِيَّةِ، وَيَهُوزَابَادُ ابْنُ شِمْرِيتَ الْمُوآبِيَّةِ.

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

٢٧ 27 وَقَدْ وَرَدَتْ فِي كِتَابِ تَارِيخِ الْمُلُوكِ سِيَرُ أَبْنَائِهِ، وَمَا جَاءَ مِنْ نُبُوءَاتٍ ضِدَّهُ، وَبَيَانٌ بِتَرْمِيمِهِ لِلْهَيْكَلِ. وَخَلَفَهُ ابْنُهُ أَمَصْيَا عَلَى الْمُلْكِ.

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.