歷代志下 24
1 [約阿士為王]約阿士即位時纔七歲；在耶路撒冷作王凡四十年；他的母親名叫漆彼雅，是貝爾舍巴人。
Seven years old, was Joash when he began to reign, and, forty years, reigned he, in Jerusalem, —and, the name of his mother, was Zibiah, of Beersheba.
2 大司祭約雅達在生之日，約阿士行了上主視為正義的事。
And Joash did that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh, -all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3 約雅達為他娶了兩個妻子，且生了子女。[重修聖殿]
And Jehoiada took for him two wives, —and he begat sons and daughters.
4 此後，約阿士有意重修上主的殿，
And it came to pass, after this, that it was near the heart of Joash to renew the house of Yahweh.
5 便召集司祭和肋未人來，吩咐他們說：「你們往猶大各城去，向全以色列人捐錢，按每年需要，修補你們天主的殿；你們應急速辦理此事。」但是肋未人沒有趕緊辦理。
So he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said unto them—Go ye out unto the cities of Judah, and gather out of all Israel silver to repair the house of your God, year by year, and, ye, shall hasten the matter, —but the Levites hastened it not.
6 君王遂將大司祭約雅達召來，對他說：「你為什麼不勒令肋未人在猶大和耶路撒冷捐款，像上主的僕人梅瑟為作證的會幕，巷以色列會眾徵收﹖」
Then the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Wherefore hast thou not required of the Levites, to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tribute of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the convocation of Israel, —for the tent of testimony?
7 原來，惡婦阿塔里雅和附合他的人使上主的殿失修，且將上主殿內的捐獻都用於巴耳。
For, as for Athaliah the Lawless, her sons, brake up the House of God, —moreover, all the hallowed things of the house of Yahweh, offered they unto the Baalim.
8 君王於是下令，製一個箱子，放在上主的殿門外，
So the king bade [them], and they made a certain chest, —and set it in the gate of the house of Yahweh, outside.
9 並在猶大和耶路撒冷發出通告，要人為上主捐款，像天主的僕人梅瑟在曠野曾向以色列徵收捐款一樣。
And they made a proclamation, throughout Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in unto Yahweh the tribute of Moses the servant of God, laid upon Israel in the desert.
10 眾首領和全民眾都很高興來捐獻，將錢投入箱內，直到投滿。
And all the rulers and all the people rejoiced, —and brought in and cast into the chest, until they had finished.
11 當肋未人將錢箱抬到君王的有司那裏時，見稅錢很多，遂請君王的書記和大司祭的屬員前來，將錢箱倒空，然後拿去放在原處；天天如此，所以收集了很多的錢。
And it came to pass, what time the chest was brought into the office of the king by the hand of the Levites, and when they had seen that abundant was the silver, that the scribe of the king came in, and the officer of the chief priest, and they emptied the chest, and bare it, and put it back in its place, —thus, they did, day by day, and collected silver, in abundance;
12 君王和約雅達便將錢交給主管上主殿的人，雇用石工和木工，招請鐵匠和銅匠，修理上主的殿宇。
and the king and Jehoiada gave it unto such as were doing the work of labouring upon the house of Yahweh, and they were hiring masons and carpenters, to renew the house of Yahweh, —moreover also, such as were fashioners of iron and bronze, to repair the house of Yahweh.
13 工匠都勤於工作，修葺的工作在他們手下日有進展，竟將天主的殿修理得與先前一樣，而且異常堅固。
So the doers of the work wrought, and the work of restoration went forward, in their hand, —and they caused the house of God to stand forth according to its due proportions, and made it strong.
14 他們完工以後，將剩下的錢，送到君王和約雅達那裏；他們遂叫人用來製造上主殿內的傢俱，為禮儀和全燔祭用得器皿、香盤以及各種金銀器皿。約雅達有生之日，在上主的殿內，時時有人奉獻全燔祭。[約阿士變節]
And, when they had finished, they brought in before the king and Jehoiada the rest of the silver, and he made it into utensils for the house of Yahweh, utensils of attendance, and bowls and spoons, even utensils of gold and silver. Then were they offering ascending-sacrifices in the house of Yahweh, continually, all the days of Jehoiada.
15 約雅達逝世時，年紀已很老；死時享年一百三十歲，
But Jehoiada waxed old and became satisfied with days, and died, —a hundred and thirty years old, when he died.
16 與列王同葬在達味城，因為他在以色列對天主和天主的殿立了大功。
And they buried him in the city of David, with the kings, —because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and his house.
17 但在約雅達死後，猶大的首領前來朝覲君王，君王竟附和了他們的主意，
Now, after the death of Jehoiada, came the rulers of Judah, and bowed themselves down unto the king, —then, hearkened the king unto them.
18 離棄了上主他們祖先天主的殿，去奉事阿舍辣和偶像。由於這個重罪，怒降到了猶大和耶路撒冷
And they forsook the house of Yahweh, God of their fathers, and served the Sacred Stems, and the images, —so there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem, for this their guilt.
19 上主仍派先知來引導他們歸向上主，先知雖警告他們，無奈他們不肯聽從。
And he sent among them prophets, to bring them back unto Yahweh, —and they testified against them, but they would not give ear.
20 天主的神充滿在大司祭約雅達的兒子則加黎雅身上，他便站在民眾面前，對他們說：「天主這樣說：你們為什麼違犯上主的誡命，招致不利呢﹖因為你們拋棄了上主，他也要拋棄你們。」
And, the spirit of God, clothed Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and he took his stand above the people, —and said unto them, Thus, saith God, Wherefore are, ye, transgressing the commandments of Yahweh, so that ye cannot prosper, because ye have forsaken Yahweh, therefore hath he forsaken you.
21 民眾都想殺害他，遂按君王的命令，在上主殿的庭院裏，用石頭將他砸死了。
So they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones, by the commandment of the king, —in the court of the house of Yahweh.
22 這樣，約阿士絲毫未念及他父親約雅達對待自己的恩德，反而殺了他的兒子。則加黎雅臨死時喊說：「願上主鑒察，加以追究! 」[約阿士被殺]
Thus Joash the king, remembered not, the lovingkindness which Jehoiada his father had done for him, but slew his son, —and, as he died, he said, Yahweh see and require!
23 次年歲首，阿蘭軍隊上來攻打約阿士，侵入了猶大和耶路撒冷，殺了民間所有的首領，將掠奪的戰利品送到大馬士革。
And it came to pass, when the year had gone round, that the force of Syria came up against him, and they entered Judah, and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the rulers of the people, from among the people, —and, all the spoil of them, sent they unto the king of Damascus.
24 阿蘭軍隊雖只來了一小隊人，但上主卻將一支龐大的軍隊交在他們手中，這是因為民眾離棄了上主，他們祖先的天主；如此阿蘭人懲罰了約阿士。
Although, with a comparatively few men, came the force of Syria, yet, Yahweh, delivered into their hand an exceeding large force, —because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers, —and, upon Joash, executed they judgments.
25 當他們離開約阿士時，約阿士正患重病，他的臣僕造反背叛了他，為報大司祭約雅達的兒子的血仇，將他打死在床上；他死後，葬在達味城，但沒有埋在王陵內。
And, when they had departed from him, for they left him with sore diseases, his own servants conspired against him, for the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him upon his bed, and he died, —and, though they buried him in the city of David, yet did they not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings.
26 造反背叛他的是阿孟女人史默阿特的兒子匝巴得，和摩阿布女人史默黎特的兒子約匝巴得。
Now, these, are they that conspired against him, —Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
27 至於約阿士的兒子，以及他所受的種種警戒，和重修天主殿宇的事，都記載在列王傳記上。他的兒子阿瑪責雅繼位為王。
But, as for his sons, and the greatness of the oracle on him, and the foundation of the house of God, lo! there they are written, in the commentary of the Book of Kings, —and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
