King Joash of Judah
(2 Kings 12.1-16)1 Joash was only 7 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled 40 years from Jerusalem. His mother Zibiah was from the town of Beersheba.
2 While Jehoiada the priest was alive, Joash obeyed the Lord by doing right. 3 Jehoiada even chose two women for Joash to marry so he could have a family.
4 Some time later, Joash decided it was time to repair the temple. 5 He called together the priests and Levites and said, “Go everywhere in Judah and collect the annual tax from the people. I want this done at once—we need that money to repair the temple.”
But the Levites were in no hurry to follow the king's orders. 6 So he sent for Jehoiada the high priest and asked, “Why didn't you send the Levites to collect the taxes? The Lord's servant Moses and the people agreed long ago that this tax would be collected and used to pay for the upkeep of the sacred tent. 7 And now we need it to repair the temple because the sons of that evil woman Athaliah came in and wrecked it. They even used some of the sacred objects to worship the god Baal.”
8 Joash gave orders for a wooden box to be made and had it placed outside, near the gate of the temple. 9 He then sent letters everywhere in Judah and Jerusalem, asking everyone to bring their taxes to the temple, just as Moses had required their ancestors to do.
10 The people and their leaders agreed, and they brought their money to Jerusalem and placed it in the box. 11 Each day, after the Levites took the box into the temple, the king's secretary and the high priest's assistant would dump out the money and count it. Then the empty box would be taken back outside.
This happened day after day, and soon a large amount of money was collected. 12 Joash and Jehoiada turned the money over to the men who were supervising the repairs to the temple. They used the money to hire stonecutters, carpenters, and experts in working with iron and bronze.
13 These workers went right to work repairing the temple, and when they were finished, it looked as good as new. 14 They did not use all the tax money for the repairs, so the rest of it was handed over to Joash and Jehoiada, who then used it to make dishes and other gold and silver objects for the temple.
Sacrifices to please the Lord were offered regularly in the temple for as long as Jehoiada lived. 15 He died at the ripe old age of 130 years, 16 and he was buried in the royal tombs in Jerusalem, because he had done so much good for the people of Israel, for God, and for the temple.
Joash Turns Away from the Lord
17 After the death of Jehoiada the priest, the leaders of Judah went to Joash and talked him into doing what they wanted. 18 The people of Judah soon stopped worshiping in the temple of the Lord God and started worshiping idols and the symbols of the goddess Asherah. These sinful things made the Lord God angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, 19 but he still sent prophets who warned them to turn back to him. The people refused to listen.
20 God's Spirit spoke to Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, and Zechariah told everyone that God was saying: “Why are you disobeying me and my laws? This will only bring punishment! You have deserted me, so now I will desert you.”
21-22 King Joash forgot that Zechariah's father had always been a loyal friend. So when the people of Judah plotted to kill Zechariah, Joash joined them and gave orders for them to stone him to death in the courtyard of the temple. As Zechariah was dying, he said, “I pray that the Lord will see this and punish all of you.”
Joash Is Killed
23 In the spring of the following year, the Syrian army invaded Judah and Jerusalem, killing all of the nation's leaders. They collected everything of value that belonged to the people and took it back to their king in Damascus. 24 The Syrian army was very small, but the Lord let them defeat Judah's large army, because he was punishing Joash and the people of Judah for turning away from him.
25-26 Joash was severely wounded during the battle, and as soon as the Syrians left Judah, two of his officials, Zabad and Jehozabad, decided to revenge the death of Zechariah. They plotted and killed Joash while he was in bed, recovering from his wounds. Joash was buried in Jerusalem, but not in the royal tombs. 27 The History of the Kings also tells more about the sons of Joash, what the prophets said about him, and how he repaired the temple. Amaziah son of Joash became king after his father's death.
Joas, omukwaniilwa gwaJuda
(2 Aak. 12:1-16)1 Joas okwa ningi omukwaniilwa gwaJuda mepipi lyomimvo heyali nokwa lele muJerusalem omimvo omilongo ne. Yina oZibia gwokuBeersheba. 2 Okwa longo shoka sho opalela Omuwa, omuyambi Jehoiada sho a li e na omwenyo. 3 Jehoiada okwa kongele omukwaniilwa Joas aanyekadhi yaali, oyo noye mu valele aamati naakadhona.
4 Konima yethimbo sho a ningi omukwaniilwa, Joas okwa tokola, a opalekithe otempeli. 5 Okwa lombwele aayambi nAalevi, ya ye kiilando yaJuda okugongela iimaliwa yokomumvo maantu ayehe yokwoopalekululitha otempeli. Okwe ya lombwele ya longe neulumo, ihe Aalevi oya kakadhala. 6 Nena omukwaniilwa i ithana omuyambimukuluntu Jehoiada e te mu pula ta ti: “Omolwashike ano inoo tonatela Aalevi, ya gongele muJuda naJerusalem oompale ndhoka Moses, omumati gwOmuwa, u uthile koshigwana okufuta ekoleko lyetsalihangano?”
7 (Aalanduli yaAtalia, omukiintu ngoka omukeenakalunga, oya li ya nyateke otempeli e taa longitha iilongitho yayo iiyapuki mokusimaneka Baal.)
8 Omukwaniilwa okwa lombwele Aalevi, ya pangele oshiketha shomakwathelo yo ye shi tule posheelo shotempeli. 9 Oyi igidha muJerusalem naJuda kutya shaa omuntu ne etele Omuwa oompale ndhoka Moses, omumati gwaKalunga, u uthile mombuga. 10 Shika osha li sho opalela aantu naawiliki yawo, oyo noye eta oompale dhawo dhiimaliwa e taa udhitha oshiketha. 11 Shaa siku Aalevi ohaa fala oshiketha kelenga ekuluntu ndyoka hali shi tonatele. Sho shu udha, amushanga guuwa nomukalelipo gwomuyambimukuluntu ohaa kutha mo iimaliwa e taa shuna oshiketha peha lyasho. Oyo noya gongele iimaliwa oyindjiyindji.
12 Omukwaniilwa naJehoiada oya gandja iimaliwa kaatonateli yeopaleko lyotempeli, mboka ya futu aahongi yomamanya, aanashihongelo naahambudhi ya pumbiwa meopaleko. 13 Aaniilonga ayehe oya longo nuudhiginini e taa galulile otempeli konkalo yayo yonale noye yi opaleke e tayi fe ompe. 14 Omaopaleko sho ga pu, oshingoli noshisiliveli shoka sha hupu ko, osha pewa omukwaniilwa naJehoiada, mboka ye shi longitha okuhambula iiyaha niikwaniipangitho yilwe yomotempeli.
Omukalo gwaJehoiada tagu lundululwa
Jehoiada manga a li e na omwenyo, oondjambo odha li hadhi yambwa nuudhiginini motempeli. 15 Ihe muukokele womimvo ethele nomilongo ndatu Jehoiada okwa si. 16 Molwokusimaneka iilonga mbyoka a ningile Aaisraeli, Kalunga notempeli, okwa fumvikwa moombila dhaakwaniilwa moshilando shaDavid.
17 Konima yeso lyaJehoiada aawiliki yAajuda oya heke omukwaniilwa Joas e ya pulakene. 18 Oshigwana osha hulitha okuninga omambo motempeli yOmuwa, Kalunga koohekulu, e taa tameke okusimaneka iimenka niiyelekela yoshikalungakiintu Asheera. Oya kwata oshidhila, nuulunde mbuka owa hilile Juda naJerusalem ondjahi yOmuwa. 19 Omuwa okwa tumu aahunganeki oku ya londodha, ya galukile kuye, ihe aantu oya tindi okupulakena. 20 Nena ombepo yaKalunga oye ya muSakaria, omuna gwomuyambi Jehoiada. Okwa thikama montaneho yaantu ayehe e ti igidha ta ti: “Omuwa Kalunga ota pula ta ti: ‘Oshike inaamu vulika kiipango yandje notamu iyetele omupya! Omwa ekelehi ndje, onkee onde mu ekelehi wo!’ ” 21 Omukwaniilwa Joas okwe mu kondjitha, nopalombwelo lye oya dhipaga Sakaria nomamanya mehale lyotempeli. 22 Omukwaniilwa okwa dhimbwa eyakulo lyuudhiginini ndyoka Jehoiada, he yaSakaria, e mu hupithile nalyo e ta dhipaga Sakaria. Sakaria sho a li pokusa, okwa igidha a ti: “Omuwa ne mu tale ye e mu geele!”
Ehulilo lyepangelo lyaJoas
23 Poshikufuthinge shomumvo ngoka Aasiria oya matukile Juda naJerusalem, ya dhipaga aawiliki ayehe e taa fala eliko enene kuDamaskus. 24 Etangakwiita lyAasiria olya li eshona, ihe Omuwa okwe li dhengitha etangakwiita lyaJuda enene, oshoka aantu oye ekelehi Omuwa, Kalunga koohekulu. Osho ngeyi omukwaniilwa Joas a geelwa. 25 Okwa li e ehamekwa unene, naatondi sho ya shuna, aambala ye yaali oye mu tsile ondumbo e taye mu dhipagele montala ye, opo ye mu galulile edhipago lyomuna gwomuyambi Jehoiada. Okwa fumvikwa moshilando shaDavid, ihe hamoombila dhaakwaniilwa. 26 (Mboka ye mu tsile ondumbo, oyo Sabad, omuna gwomukulukadhi Omuammoni, edhina lye Shimehat, naJehosabad, omuna gwomukulukadhi Omumoabi, edhina lye Shimrit.) 27 Efatululo lyembo lyaakwaniilwa oli na omahokololo gaana yaJoas, omahunganeko ngoka ge mu popi tage mu tamaneke, nehokololo lyetungululo lyotempeli. Omwana Amazia okwe mu landula muukwaniilwa.
