2 Kings 12 – NIRV & ASCB

New International Reader’s Version

2 Kings 12:1-21

Joash Repairs the Temple

1Joash became king of Judah. It was in the seventh year of Jehu’s rule. Joash 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 teaching him. 3But the high places weren’t removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

4Joash spoke to the priests. He said, “Collect all the money the people bring as sacred offerings to the Lord’s temple. That includes the money collected when the men who are able to serve in the army are counted. It includes the money received from people who make a special promise to the Lord. It also includes the money people bring to the temple just because they want to. 5Let each priest receive the money from one of the people in charge of the temple’s treasures. Then use all of that money to repair the temple where it needs it.”

6It was now the 23rd year of the rule of King Joash. And the priests still hadn’t repaired the temple. 7So the king sent for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests. He asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the temple where it needs it? Don’t take any more money from the people in charge of the treasures. Instead, hand it over so the temple can be repaired.” 8The priests agreed that they wouldn’t collect any more money from the people. They also agreed that they wouldn’t repair the temple themselves.

9Jehoiada the priest got a chest. He drilled a hole in its lid. He placed the chest beside the altar for burnt offerings. The chest was on the right side as people enter the Lord’s temple. Some priests guarded the entrance. They put into the chest all the money the people brought to the temple. 10From time to time there was a large amount of money in the chest. When that happened, the royal secretary and the high priest came. They counted the money the people had brought to the temple. Then they put it into bags. 11After they added it all up, they used it to repair the temple. They gave it to the men who had been put in charge of the work. Those men used it to pay the workers. They paid the builders and those who worked with wood. 12They paid those who cut stones and those who laid them. They bought lumber and blocks of stone. So they used the money to repair the Lord’s temple. They also paid all the other costs to make the temple like new again.

13The money the people brought to the Lord’s temple wasn’t used to make silver bowls. It wasn’t used for wick cutters, sprinkling bowls or trumpets. And it wasn’t used for any other things made out of gold or silver. 14Instead, it was paid to the workers. They used it to repair the temple. 15The royal secretary and the high priest didn’t require a report from those who were in charge of the work. That’s because they were completely honest. They always paid the workers. 16Money was received from people who brought guilt offerings and sin offerings. But it wasn’t taken to the Lord’s temple. It belonged to the priests.

17About that time Hazael, the king of Aram, went up and attacked Gath. Then he captured it. After that, he turned back to attack Jerusalem. 18But Joash, the king of Judah, didn’t want to go to war. So he took all the sacred objects. They had been set apart to the Lord by the kings who had ruled over Judah before him. Those kings were Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah. Joash took the gifts he himself had set apart. He took all the gold that was among the temple treasures. He also took all the gold from the royal palace. He sent all those things to Hazael, the king of Aram. Then Hazael pulled his army back from Jerusalem.

19The other events of the rule of Joash are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. 20The officials of Joash made evil plans against him. They killed him at Beth Millo. It happened on the road that goes down to Silla. 21The officials who murdered him were Jozabad and Jehozabad. Jozabad was the son of Shimeath. Jehozabad was the son of Shomer. After Joash died, he was buried in the family tomb in the City of David. Joash’s son Amaziah became the next king after him.

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

2 Ahemfo 12:1-21

Yoas Siesie Asɔredan No

1Ɔhene Yehu adedie wɔ Israel no mfeɛ nson so, na Yoas12.1 Ne din wɔ Hebri kasa mu yɛ Yehoas nso dii adeɛ wɔ Yuda. Ɔdii adeɛ wɔ Yerusalem mfeɛ aduanan. Na ne maame Sibia firi Beer-Seba. 2Yoas asetena mu nyinaa, ɔyɛɛ deɛ ɛsɔ Awurade ani, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada kyerɛkyerɛ no. 3Na Yoas yɛ ɔhene papa a ɔdii nʼagya Asa anammɔn akyi. Ɔyɛɛ adeɛ a ɛsɔ Awurade ani. Nanso, nʼahennie mu no, wantumi ammubu abosonnan enti, nnipa kɔɔ so bɔɔ afɔdeɛ, hyee aduhwam wɔ hɔ.

4Ɛda bi, ɔhene Yoas ka kyerɛɛ asɔfoɔ no sɛ, “Mommoaboa sika a wɔde ba Awurade asɔredan mu sɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ kronkron no, sɛ ɛyɛ daa daa toɔ tua, aboadeɛ anaa akyɛdeɛ a ɛfiri ɔpɛ mu no. 5Momma asɔfoɔ no mfa sika no bi nkɔtua asɔredan no nsiesie ho ka biara.” 6Nanso, ɔhene Yoas dii adeɛ mfeɛ aduonu mmiɛnsa no, na asɔfoɔ no nsiesiee Asɔredan no. 7Enti, ɔhene Yoas12.7 Saa berɛ no na Yoas adi mfeɛ aduasa. soma kɔfrɛɛ Yehoiada ne asɔfoɔ a aka no, bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na monsiesiee asɔredan no? Mommfa akyɛdeɛ no nhyɛ mo ho bio. Ɛfiri ɛnnɛ rekɔ, ɛsɛ sɛ mode ne nyinaa siesie asɔredan no.” 8Enti, asɔfoɔ no penee so sɛ wɔrennyegye sika mfiri nnipa no nkyɛn bio. Wɔpenee so nso sɛ, wɔn ankasa rensiesie Asɔredan no.

9Na ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada tuu tokuro wɔ adaka kɛseɛ bi atifi, de sii afɔrebukyia no nifa so wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no kwan ano. Asɔfoɔ a wɔwɛn ɛkwan no ano no de nnipa no ntoboa nyinaa guu adaka no mu. 10Ɛberɛ biara a adaka no bɛyɛ ma no, asɔre twerɛfoɔ ne ɔsɔfopanin no kan sika a wɔde aba Awurade Asɔredan no mu no nyinaa, de gu nkotokuo mu. 11Afei, wɔde sika no ma dwumadie hwɛsofoɔ no, ma wɔde tua nnipa a wɔresiesie Awurade Asɔredan no ka, nnua adwumfoɔ, adansifoɔ, 12abohyehyɛfoɔ ne abotwafoɔ. Wɔde sika no bi nso tɔ nnua ne aboɔ a wɔatwa, a wɔde bɛsiesie Awurade asɔredan no. Na ɛka biara a ɛba Asɔredan no nsiesie ho no, wɔtua.

13Na wɔamfa sika a wɔde bɛba Asɔredan mu hɔ no anyɛ dwetɛ nkuruwa, nkanea akapɛ, nkyɛnsee akɛseɛ, ntotorobɛnto anaa nneɛma a wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ anaa dwetɛ yɛ ma Awurade Asɔredan no. 14Na wɔde tuaa adwumayɛfoɔ no ka, ma wɔde siesiee asɔredan no. 15Na adwuma no hwɛfoɔ akontabuo biara ho anhia, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔyɛ adwumayɛfoɔ nokwafoɔ. 16Nanso, afɔdie ne bɔneyɛ ho afɔrebɔdeɛ no deɛ, na wɔmfa nkɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu hɔ. Na wɔde ma asɔfoɔ no sɛ wɔn kyɛfa.

Yoas Ahennie Awieeɛ

17Ɛbɛyɛ saa ɛberɛ yi, Aramhene Hasael kɔko tiaa Gat faeɛ. Afei, ɔdanee ne ho kɔto hyɛɛ Yerusalem so. 18Ɔhene Yoas boaboaa akronkronneɛ a Yehosafat, Yehoram ne Ahasia a na wɔyɛ Yuda ahemfo a wɔatwam no ato edin ama Awurade ne deɛ ɔno ankasa nso ato edin ama Awurade no nyinaa ano. Ɔde ne nyinaa a sikakɔkɔɔ a ɛwɔ akoraeɛ a ɛwɔ Awurade asɔredan mu hɔ ne ahemfie no ka ho no kɔmaa Aramhene Hasael. Enti, ɛmaa Hasael gyaee to a anka ɔrekɔto ahyɛ Yerusalem soɔ no.

19Nsɛm a ɛsisii wɔ Yoas ahennie mu ne deɛ ɔyɛeɛ no nyinaa, wɔatwerɛ wɔ Yuda Ahemfo Abakɔsɛm Nwoma no mu. 20Nanso, ne mpanimfoɔ pam ne tiri so, kumm no wɔ Bet-Milo ɛkwan a ɛkɔ Sila no so. 21Awudifoɔ no yɛ Simeat babarima Yosabad ne Somer babarima Yehosabad a na wɔn nyinaa yɛ afotufoɔ nokwafoɔ. Wɔsiee Yoas wɔ nʼagyanom nkyɛn wɔ Dawid kurom. Na ne babarima Amasia na ɔdii nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene foforɔ.