2 Berɛsosɛm 24
1 Yoas dii ɔhene no, na wadi mfeɛ nson, na ɔdii adeɛ Yerusalem mfirinhyia aduanan. Na ne maame din de Sibia a ɔfiri Beer-Seba.
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.
2 Yoas yɛɛ deɛ ɛsɔ Awurade ani, ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada nkwa nna nyinaa.
And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
3 Yehoiada maa Yoas ɔyerenom baanu a ɔne wɔn wowoo mmammarima ne mmammaa.
Jehoiada took for himself two wives, and he had sons and daughters.
4 Akyire no, Yoas yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛsiesie Awurade Asɔredan no.
Some time later, Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the LORD.
5 Enti, ɔfrɛfrɛɛ asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monkɔ Yuda nkuro nyinaa so ntɛm, na monkɔgyegye afirinhyiatoɔ, sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi asiesie mo Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no. Monntwentwɛn koraa.” Nanso, Lewifoɔ no ankɔ prɛko pɛ.
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.
6 Na ɔhene no frɛɛ ɔsɔfopanin Yehoiada bisaa no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wommisaa Lewifoɔ no deɛ enti a wɔnkɔɔ Yuda nkuro so ne Yerusalem nkɔgyegyee Asɔredan ho toɔ no? Mose, Awurade ɔsomfoɔ, gyegyee ɔman Israel saa toɔ yi, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, ɔbɛtumi asiesie Apam Ntomadan no.”
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?”
7 Mfeɛ pii mu no, otirimuɔdenfoɔ Atalia akyidifoɔ bɔ wuraa Onyankopɔn Asɔredan mu, na nneɛma a wɔahyira so wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu no nyinaa, wɔfa de somm Baal ahoni.
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.
8 Enti, afei, Yoas hyɛɛ sɛ wɔnyɛ adaka bi mfa nsi ɛkwan a ɛkɔ Awurade Asɔredan no akyi.
At the king’s command a chest was made and placed outside, at the gate of the house of the LORD.
9 Enti, wɔde too Yudafoɔ ne Yerusalemfoɔ anim sɛ, wɔmfa ɛtoɔ a Mose, Onyankopɔn ɔsomfoɔ gyegyee Israelfoɔ wɔ ɛserɛ so no mmrɛ Awurade.
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.
10 Ntuanofoɔ no ne ɔmanfoɔ no penee so, enti wɔde anigyeɛ de wɔn sika bɛhyɛɛ adaka no ma.
All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought their contributions, and they dropped them in the chest until it was full.
11 Ɛberɛ biara a adaka no bɛyɛ ma no, Lewifoɔ no soa de kɔma ɔhene mpanimfoɔ. Na asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ ne ɔsɔfopanin ananmusini bi akan sika no, na wɔasane de adaka no akɔsi Asɔredan no ɛpono ano bio. Wɔyɛɛ saa daa, na wɔnyaa sika bebree.
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.
12 Ɔhene no ne Yehoiada de sika no maa adansie sohwɛfoɔ, ma wɔfaa adansifoɔ ne nnua dwumfoɔ, ma wɔsiesiee Awurade Asɔredan no. Afei, wɔfaa nnadeɛ adwumfoɔ maa wɔde nnadeɛ ne kɔbere mfrafraeɛ yɛɛ Awurade Asɔredan no ho nneɛma.
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.
13 Na mmarima a wɔhwɛ ɛdan no nsiesie so no yɛɛ adwumaden ma adwuma no kɔɔ so sɛdeɛ ɛfata. Wɔsii Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no wɔ ne tebea dada no sɛso na wɔhyɛɛ mu den.
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.
14 Wɔwiee nsiesie no, wɔde sika no nkaeɛ brɛɛ ɔhene no ne Yehoiada. Wɔde yɛɛ nneɛma ahodoɔ a wɔde bi som, de bi bɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ a nkwankoraa ne atam ahodoɔ a wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ ayɛ nso ka ho. Na wɔde kɔguu Awurade asɔredan no mu. Ɛberɛ a na ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada te ase no, na wɔtaa bɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ wɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu hɔ.
When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada to make with it the 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.
15 Yehoiada nyinii yie, ɔwuiɛ no na wadi mfirinhyia ɔha ne aduasa.
When Jehoiada was old and full of years, he died at the age of 130.
16 Wɔsiee no ahemfo asieeɛ wɔ Dawid kurom, ɛfiri sɛ, na wayɛ adwuma pa wɔ Israel, ama Onyankopɔn ne nʼAsɔredan no.
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.
17 Yehoiada owuo akyi no, Yuda ntuanofoɔ bɛkotoo ɔhene Yoas anim, srɛɛ no sɛ ɔntie wɔn afotuo.
After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.
18 Wɔyɛɛ wɔn adwene sɛ wɔbɛgya Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no, na wɔasom Asera afɔrebukyia no ne ahoni no mmom. Na Onyankopɔn abufuo baa Yuda ne Yerusalem so wɔ wɔn bɔne enti.
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.
19 Awurade somaa adiyifoɔ sɛ wɔnkɔfa wɔn mmrɛ no, nanso nnipa no ampene.
Nevertheless, the LORD sent prophets to bring the people back to Him and to testify against them; but they would not listen.
20 Afei, Onyankopɔn Honhom baa ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada babarima Sakaria so. Ɔgyinaa nnipa no anim kaa sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Onyankopɔn seɛ nie: Adɛn enti na monni Awurade ahyɛdeɛ so? Morennya nkɔsoɔ ɛfiri sɛ, moagya Awurade ama ɔno nso agya mo!”
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.’”
21 Na ntuanofoɔ no yɛɛ apam wɔ Sakaria ho sɛ wɔbɛkum no. Na ɔhene Yoas ankasa hyɛ ma wɔsii no aboɔ, kumm no wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no adihɔ hɔ.
But they conspired against Zechariah, and by order of the king, they stoned him in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.
22 Na ɔhene Yoas ankae adɔeɛ a nʼagya Yehoiada de yɛɛ no no, na ɔkumm ne babarima. Sakaria rewuo no, nsɛm a ɔka twaa toɔ ne sɛ, “Awurade nhunu deɛ wɔreyɛ na ɔmma wɔmmu ho akonta!”
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.”
23 Afe no ahyɛaseɛ no, Aram akodɔm bɔɔ nsra baa Yoas so. Wɔkaa Yuda ne Yerusalem hyɛeɛ, kunkumm ntuanofoɔ a wɔwɔ ɔman no mu nyinaa. Na wɔfaa asadeɛ a wɔnyaeɛ nyinaa, de kɔmaa wɔn ɔhene wɔ Damasko.
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.
24 Ɛwom sɛ Aram dɔm a wɔkɔto hyɛɛ wɔn so no sua deɛ, nanso, Awurade boaa wɔn maa wɔdii Yuda akodɔm kɛseɛ no so nkonim. Yudafoɔ gyaa Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn, ɛno enti Awurade buu atɛn tiaa Yoas.
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.
25 Aramfoɔ twee wɔn ho na wɔgyaa Yoas a na wapira yie no hɔ. Nanso, ɔno ankasa mpanimfoɔ dwenee ho sɛ, ɛsiane sɛ ɔkumm ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada babarima enti, wɔbɛkum no. Wɔkumm no wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔda mpa so. Na wɔsiee no Dawid kurom a wɔankɔsie no wɔ adehyeɛ amusieeɛ.
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.
26 Na awudifoɔ no yɛ Yosabat a ɔyɛ Amonni baa Simeat babarima, ne Somer a ɔyɛ Moabni baa Simrit babarima.
Those who conspired against Joash were Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess.
27 Wɔatwerɛ nsɛm a ɛfa Yoas mmammarima, ne ho nkɔmhyɛ, ne Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no nsiesie wɔ Ahene nwoma nkyerɛmu no mu. Yoas wuiɛ no, ne babarima Amasia dii nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene.
The accounts of the sons of Joash, as well as the many pronouncements about him and about 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.
