2 Chronicles 24 – NIRV & CCL

New International Reader’s Version

2 Chronicles 24:1-27

Joash Repairs the Temple

1Joash was seven years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 40 years. His mother’s name was Zibiah. She was from Beersheba. 2Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Joash lived that way as long as Jehoiada the priest was alive. 3Jehoiada chose two wives for Joash. They had sons and daughters by Joash.

4Some time later Joash decided to make the Lord’s temple look like new again. 5He called together the priests and Levites. He said to them, “Go to the towns of Judah. Collect the money that the nation of Israel owes every year. Use it to repair the temple of your God. Do it now.” But the Levites didn’t do it right away.

6So the king sent for Jehoiada the chief priest. He said to him, “Why haven’t you required the Levites to bring in the tax from Judah and Jerusalem? It was set up by the Lord’s servant Moses and the whole community of Israel. It was used for the tent where the tablets of the covenant law were kept.”

7The children of that evil woman Athaliah had broken into God’s temple. They had used even its sacred objects for the gods that were named Baal.

8King Joash commanded that a wooden chest be made. It was placed outside near the gate of the Lord’s temple. 9Then a message went out in Judah and Jerusalem. It said that the people should bring the tax to the Lord. God’s servant Moses had required Israel to pay that tax when they were in the desert. 10All the officials and people gladly brought their money. They dropped it into the chest until it was full. 11The chest was brought in by the Levites to the king’s officials. Every time the officials saw there was a large amount of money in the chest, it was emptied out. The royal secretary and the officer of the chief priest came and emptied it. Then they carried it back to its place. They did it regularly. They collected a great amount of money. 12The king and Jehoiada gave it to the people who were doing the work on the Lord’s temple. They hired people who could lay the stones and people who could work with wood. They also hired people who could work with iron and bronze. They hired all of them to repair the temple.

13The men in charge of the work did their best. The repairs went very well under them. They rebuilt God’s temple. They did it in keeping with its original plans. They made the temple even stronger. 14So they finished the work. Then they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada. It was used to pay for the objects that were made for the Lord’s temple. The objects were used for serving at the temple. They were also used for the burnt offerings. The objects included dishes and other things made out of gold and silver. As long as Jehoiada lived, burnt offerings were sacrificed continually at the Lord’s temple.

15Jehoiada had become very old. He died at the age of 130. 16He was buried with the kings in the City of David. That’s because he had done so many good things in Israel for God and his temple.

The Evil Things Joash Did

17After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah came to King Joash. They bowed down to him. He listened to them. 18They turned their backs on the temple of the Lord, the God of their people. They worshiped poles made to honor the female god named Asherah. They also worshiped statues of other gods. Because Judah and Jerusalem were guilty of sin, God became angry with them. 19The Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him. The prophets told the people what they were doing wrong. But the people wouldn’t listen.

20Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the priest. He was the son of Jehoiada. Zechariah stood in front of the people. He told them, “God says, ‘Why do you refuse to obey my commands? You will not have success. You have deserted me. So I have deserted you.’ ”

21But the people made evil plans against Zechariah. The king ordered them to kill Zechariah by throwing stones at him. They did it in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22King Joash didn’t remember how kind Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had been to him. So he killed Jehoiada’s son. As Zechariah was dying he said, “May the Lord see this. May he hold you responsible.”

23In the spring, the army of Aram marched into Judah and Jerusalem against Joash. They killed all the leaders of the people. They took a large amount of goods from Judah. They sent it to their king in Damascus. 24The army of Aram had come with only a few men. But the Lord allowed them to win the battle over a much larger army. Judah had deserted the Lord, the God of their people. That’s why the Lord punished Joash. 25The army of Aram pulled back. They left Joash badly wounded. His officials planned to do evil things to him. That’s because he murdered the son of Jehoiada the priest. They killed Joash in his bed. So he died. He was buried in the City of David. But he wasn’t placed in the tombs of the kings.

26Those who made the plans against Joash were Zabad and Jehozabad. Zabad was the son of Shimeath. She was from Ammon. Jehozabad was the son of Shimrith. She was from Moab. 27The story of the sons of Joash is written in the notes on the records of the kings. The many prophecies about him are written there too. So is the record of how he made God’s temple look like new again. Joash’s son Amaziah became the next king after him.

Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero

2 Mbiri 24:1-27

Yowasi Akonzanso Nyumba ya Mulungu

1Yowasi anali wa zaka zisanu ndi ziwiri pamene anakhala mfumu, ndipo analamulira mu Yerusalemu kwa zaka makumi anayi. Dzina la amayi ake linali Zibiya wa ku Beeriseba. 2Yowasi anachita zolungama pamaso pa Yehova nthawi yonse ya moyo wa wansembe Yehoyada. 3Yehoyada anamupezera iye akazi awiri, ndipo anabereka ana aamuna ndi aakazi.

4Patapita nthawi Yowasi anatsimikiza zokonzanso Nyumba ya Yehova. 5Iye anayitanitsa pamodzi ansembe ndi Alevi ndipo anawawuza kuti, “Pitani ku mizinda ya Yuda ndi kukasonkhetsa ndalama za pa chaka kwa Aisraeli onse zokonzera Nyumba ya Mulungu wanu. Chitani zimenezi tsopano.” Koma Alevi sanachite zimenezi mwachangu.

6Choncho mfumu inayitanitsa Yehoyada, mkulu wa ansembe ndipo inati kwa iye, “Kodi nʼchifukwa chiyani simunawuze Alevi kuti asonkhetse ndalama ku Yuda ndi Yerusalemu, msonkho umene anakhazikitsa Mose mtumiki wa Yehova ndiponso gulu lonse la Aisraeli mu tenti yaumboni?”

7Ana a mkazi woyipa, Ataliya, anathyola chitseko cha Nyumba ya Mulungu ndipo anagwiritsa ntchito zinthu zopatulika popembedza Baala.

8Mfumu italamulira, bokosi linapangidwa ndipo linayikidwa panja pa chipata cha Nyumba ya Yehova. 9Ndipo analengeza kwa anthu a mu Yuda ndi mu Yerusalemu kuti abweretse kwa Yehova msonkho umene Mose mtumiki wa Mulungu analamulira Aisraeli mʼchipululu. 10Akuluakulu onse ndi anthu onse anabweretsa zopereka zawo mokondwera ndipo anaziponya mʼbokosi mpaka linadzaza. 11Nthawi ina iliyonse imene Alevi abweretsa bokosilo kwa akuluakulu a mfumu ndipo akaona kuti muli ndalama zambiri, mlembi waufumu ndi nduna yayikulu ya mkulu wa ansembe amabwera ndi kuchotsa ndalama mʼbokosi muja ndipo amalitenga kukaliyika pamalo pake. Iwo amachita izi nthawi ndi nthawi ndipo anapeza ndalama zambiri. 12Mfumu pamodzi ndi Yehoyada anapereka ndalamazo kwa anthu oyangʼanira ntchito ku Nyumba ya Yehova. Analemba ntchito amisiri a miyala ndi a matabwa kuti akonzenso Nyumba ya Yehova. Analembanso ntchito amisiri a zitsulo ndi mkuwa kuti akonze Nyumba ya Mulungu.

13Anthu amene ankagwira ntchito anali odziwa bwino, ndipo ntchitoyo inagwiridwa bwino ndi manja awo. Iwo anamanganso Nyumba ya Mulungu motsatira mapangidwe ake oyamba ndipo anayilimbitsa. 14Atamaliza, iwo anabweretsa ndalama zotsala kwa mfumu ndi Yehoyada, ndipo anazigwiritsira ntchito popangira zida za mʼNyumba ya Yehova: ziwiya zogwiritsa ntchito potumikira ndi popereka nsembe zopsereza, komanso mbale ndi ziwiya zagolide ndi siliva. Nthawi yonse ya moyo wa Yehoyada, nsembe zopsereza zinkaperekedwa mosalekeza mʼNyumba ya Yehova.

15Tsono Yehoyada anakalamba ndipo anali ndi zaka zambiri. Pambuyo pake iye anamwalira ali ndi zaka 130. 16Iyeyo anayikidwa mʼmanda pamodzi ndi mafumu mu mzinda wa Davide chifukwa cha zabwino zimene anachita mu Israeli, kuchitira Mulungu ndi Nyumba yake.

Kuyipa kwa Yowasi

17Atamwalira Yehoyada, akuluakulu a Yuda anabwera kudzapereka ulemu kwa mfumu, ndipo mfumu inawamvera. 18Iwo anasiya Nyumba ya Yehova, Mulungu wa makolo awo ndipo anapembedza Asera ndi mafano. Chifukwa cha kulakwa kwawo, mkwiyo wa Yehova unabwera pa Yuda ndi Yerusalemu. 19Ngakhale Yehova anatumiza aneneri kwa anthuwo kuti awabweze kwa Iye, ngakhale aneneri ananenera mowatsutsa, anthuwo sanamvere.

20Kenaka Mzimu wa Mulungu unabwera pa Zekariya mwana wa wansembe Yehoyada. Iye anayimirira pamaso pa anthu ndipo anati, “Zimene Mulungu akunena ndi Izi: ‘Chifukwa chiyani simukumvera Malamulo a Yehova? Simudzapindula. Chifukwa mwasiya Yehova, Iyenso wakusiyani.’ ”

21Koma anthuwo anamuchitira chiwembu molamulidwa ndi mfumu ndipo anamugenda miyala ndi kumupha mʼbwalo la Nyumba ya Mulungu. 22Mfumu Yowasi sinakumbukire zabwino zimene Yehoyada abambo ake a Zekariya anamuchitira, koma anapha mwana wake. Pamene amafa, iye ananena kuti, “Yehova aone zimenezi ndipo abwezere chilango.”

23Pakutha kwa chaka, gulu lankhondo la Aramu linadzamenyana ndi Yowasi. Linalowa mu Yuda ndi mu Yerusalemu ndi kupha atsogoleri onse a anthu. Zonse zimene analanda anazitumiza kwa mfumu ya ku Damasiko. 24Ngakhale kuti gulu lankhondo la Aramu linabwera ndi anthu ochepa okha, Yehova anapereka mʼmanja mwawo gulu lalikulu lankhondo. Chifukwa Yuda anasiya Yehova Mulungu wa makolo awo, chiweruzo chinachitika pa Yowasi. 25Pamene Aaramu amachoka, anasiya Yowasi atavulazidwa kwambiri. Akuluakulu ake anamuchitira chiwembu chifukwa anapha mwana wa wansembe Yehoyada, ndipo anamupha ali pa bedi pake. Choncho anafa ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda mu mzinda wa Davide, koma osati manda a mafumu.

26Iwo amene anamuchitira chiwembu anali Zabadi mwana wa Simeati, mkazi wa ku Amoni, ndi Yehozabadi mwana wa Simiriti, mkazi wa ku Mowabu. 27Za ana ake aamuna, uneneri wonena za iye, mbiri ya kumanganso Nyumba ya Mulungu, zalembedwa mʼbuku lofotokoza za mafumu. Ndipo Amaziya mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.