Joas was seven years old when he began to reign: and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Sebia of Bersabee.

Septem annorum erat Joas cum regnare cœpisset, et quadraginta annis regnavit in Jerusalem: nomen matris ejus Sebia de Bersabee.

Thus Joas came to the throne as a boy of seven years old, and his reign at Jerusalem lasted forty years. His mother’s name was Sebia, a woman of Bersabee.

And he did that which is good before the Lord all the days of Joiada the priest.

Fecitque quod bonum est coram Domino cunctis diebus Jojadæ sacerdotis.

As long as the high priest Joiada was alive, Joas obeyed the Lord’s will,

And Joiada took for him two wives, by whom he had sons and daughters.

Accepit autem ei Jojada uxores duas, e quibus genuit filios et filias.

and it was Joiada who found him his two wives, that bore sons and daughters to him.

After this Joas had a mind to repair the house of the Lord.

Post quæ placuit Joas ut instauraret domum Domini.

And now Joas had a mind to put the Lord’s house in repair.

And he assembled the priests, and the Levites, and said to them: Go out to the cities of Juda, and gather of all Israel money to repair the temple of your God, from year to year: and do this with speed: but the Levites were negligent.

Congregavitque sacerdotes et Levitas, et dixit eis: Egredimini ad civitates Juda, et colligite de universo Israël pecuniam ad sartatecta templi Dei vestri per singulos annos, festinatoque hoc facite. Porro Levitæ egere negligentius.

He summoned priests and Levites, and bade them go round the cities of Juda, collecting money from all that were of Israel’s race every year, so as to repair the temple of the Lord their God; and this he would have them do with all speed. But the Levites went about their work slowly,

And the king called Joiada the chief, and said to him: Why hast thou not taken care to oblige the Levites to bring in out of Juda and Jerusalem the money that was appointed by Moses the servant of the Lord for all the multitude of Israel to bring into the tabernacle of the testimony?

Vocavitque rex Jojadam principem, et dixit ei: Quare tibi non fuit curæ, ut cogeres Levitas inferre de Juda et de Jerusalem pecuniam quæ constituta est a Moyse servo Domini, ut inferret eam omnis multitudo Israël in tabernaculum testimonii?

and the king must needs send for the high priest Joiada; Why hast thou been at no pains, he asked, to make the Levites collect money throughout Juda and Jerusalem, the same money which the Lord’s servant Moses bade all Israel devote to the needs of the tabernacle?

For that wicked woman Athalia, and her children have destroyed the house of God, and adorned the temple of Baal with all the things that had been dedicated in the temple of the Lord.

Athalia enim impiissima, et filii ejus, destruxerunt domum Dei, et de universis quæ sanctificata fuerant in templo Domini, ornaverunt fanum Baalim.

Here is God’s house all laid waste by Athalia, the godless queen, and those sons of hers, that would deck Baal’s temple with all the votive offerings that were once in the temple of the Lord.

And the king commanded, and they made a chest: and set it by the gate of the house of the Lord on the outside.

Præcepit ergo rex, et fecerunt arcam: posueruntque eam juxta portam domus Domini forinsecus.

Then the king bade them have a chest made, and this they put by the outer gate of the Lord’s house.

And they made a proclamation in Juda and Jerusalem, that every man should bring to the Lord the money which Moses the servant of God appointed for all Israel, in the desert.

Et prædicatum est in Juda et Jerusalem ut deferrent singuli pretium Domino, quod constituit Moyses servus Dei super omnem Israël in deserto.

And word went round Juda and Jerusalem that each man was to pay the tax Moses enjoined on all Israel, out in the desert.

And all the princes, and all the people rejoiced: and going in they contributed and cast so much into the chest of the Lord, that it was filled.

Lætatique sunt cuncti principes, et omnis populus, et ingressi contulerunt in arcam Domini, atque miserunt ita ut impleretur.

Gladly did chieftains and common folk together come in with their gifts for the Lord’s treasury, piling the chest high till it was full.

And when it was time to bring the chest before the king by the hands of the Levites, (for they saw there was much money,) the king’s scribe, and he whom the high priest had appointed went in: and they poured out the money that was in the chest: and they carried back the chest to its place: and thus they did from day to day, and there was gathered an immense sum of money.

Cumque tempus esset ut deferrent arcam coram rege per manus Levitarum (videbant enim multam pecuniam), ingrediebatur scriba regis, et quem primus sacerdos constituerat, effundebantque pecuniam quæ erat in arca, porro arcam reportabant ad locum suum: sicque faciebant per singulos dies. Et congregata est infinita pecunia,

When the Levites saw that a great sum was amassed, it was time they should take it into the royal presence. The king’s secretary would come in, and with him one that was appointed by the high priest; together they poured out the money that was in the chest, which they then put back in its place. Every day this was done, and the great sum thus collected

And the king and Joiada gave it to those who were over the works of the house of the Lord: but they hired with it stonecutters, and artificers of every kind of work to repair the house of the Lord: and such as wrought in iron and brass, to uphold what began to be falling.

quam dederunt rex et Jojada his qui præerant operibus domus Domini: at illi conducebant ex ea cæsores lapidum, et artifices operum singulorum ut instaurarent domum Domini: fabros quoque ferri et æris, ut quod cadere cœperat, fulciretur.

was paid over by the king and Joiada to the master-builders, who hired stone-cutters with it, and other craftsmen, to repair the Lord’s house; workers, too, in iron and bronze, so as to prop up what was like to fall down.

And the workmen were diligent, and the breach of the walls was closed up by their hands, and they set up the house of the Lord in its former state, and made it stand firm.

Egeruntque hi qui operabantur industrie, et obducebatur parietum cicatrix per manus eorum, ac suscitaverunt domum Domini in statum pristinum, et firmiter eam stare fecerunt.

Busily these men went about their tasks, till the breach was healed under their hands, and the building restored to its former state; the house stood firm once more.

And when they had finished all the works, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Joiada: and with it were made vessels for the temple for the ministry, and for holocausts and bowls, and other vessels of gold and silver: and holocausts were offered in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Joiada.

Cumque complessent omnia opera, detulerunt coram rege et Jojada reliquam partem pecuniæ: de qua facta sunt vasa templi in ministerium, et ad holocausta, phialæ quoque, et cetera vasa aurea et argentea: offerebantur holocausta in domo Domini jugiter cunctis diebus Jojadæ.

It was only when they had finished all this that the rest of the money collected was brought before the king and Joiada; with this they made all the appurtenances for worship and offering sacrifice in the temple; bowls, too, and other ornaments of gold and silver. All through Joiada’s life-time burnt-sacrifice was offered in the Lord’s house;

But Joiada grew old and was full of days, and died when he was a hundred and thirty years old.

Senuit autem Jojada plenus dierum, et mortuus est cum esset centum triginta annorum:

but at last he grew old, and the full tale of his years was complete; he died at the age of a hundred and thirty.

And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good to Israel, and to his house.

sepelieruntque eum in civitate David cum regibus, eo quod fecisset bonum cum Israël, et cum domo ejus.

And for his great services to Israel and to David’s house, they buried him in David’s own Keep, among the kings.

And after the death of Joiada, the princes of Juda went in, and worshipped the king: and he was soothed by their services and hearkened to them.

Postquam autem obiit Jojada, ingressi sunt principes Juda, et adoraverunt regem: qui delinitus obsequiis eorum, acquievit eis.

But now that he was dead, the chieftains of Juda came in to do the king reverence, and with their smooth speech won him over to another mind;

And they forsook the temple of the Lord the God of their fathers, and served groves and idols, and wrath came upon Juda and Jerusalem for this sin.

Et dereliquerunt templum Domini Dei patrum suorum, servieruntque lucis et sculptilibus: et facta est ira contra Judam et Jerusalem propter hoc peccatum.

forgotten, now, was the Lord’s temple, God of their fathers though he were; they must worship before forest shrines, and carved images. This guilt of theirs brought the Lord’s vengeance on Juda and Jerusalem;

And he sent prophets to them to bring them back to the Lord, and they would not give ear when they testified against them.

Mittebatque eis prophetas ut reverterentur ad Dominum, quos protestantes illi audire nolebant.

still he would send them prophets, to bring them back to him, but their protest went unheeded.

The spirit of God then came upon Zacharias the son of Joiada the priest, and he stood in the sight of the people, and said to them: Thus saith the Lord God: Why transgress you the commandment of the Lord which will not be for your good, and have forsaken the Lord, to make him forsake you?

Spiritus itaque Dei induit Zachariam filium Jojadæ sacerdotem, et stetit in conspectu populi, et dixit eis: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Quare transgredimini præceptum Domini, quod vobis non proderit, et dereliquistis Dominum ut derelinqueret vos?

At last the divine spirit fell on the high priest Zacharias, that was son to Joiada; full in the presence of the people he stood up and gave them a message from the Lord God: What means it that you so transgress the Lord’s command, to your peril, forsaking him, and by him forsaken?

And they gathered themselves together against him, and stoned him at the king’s commandment in the court of the house of the Lord.

Qui congregati adversus eum, miserunt lapides juxta regis imperium in atrio domus Domini.

But they, at the king’s orders, gathered about him and stoned him, there in the court of the Lord’s house.

And king Joas did not remember the kindness that Joiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. And when he died, he said: The Lord see, and require it.

Et non est recordatus Joas rex misericordiæ quam fecerat Jojada pater illius secum, sed interfecit filium ejus. Qui cum moreretur, ait: Videat Dominus, et requirat.

Such was the gratitude of Joas; for the great services the father had done him, the son must die. And as he died, he said, May the Lord look on this, and exact the penalty.

And when a year was come about, the army of Syria came up against him: and they came to Juda and Jerusalem, and killed all the princes of the people, and they sent all the spoils to the king of Damascus.

Cumque evolutus esset annus, ascendit contra eum exercitus Syriæ: venitque in Judam et Jerusalem, et interfecit cunctos principes populi, atque universam prædam miserunt regi in Damascum.

A year passed, and the army of Syria was on the march against Joas. Into Juda, into Jerusalem they came, killed all that were of note among the people, plundered, and sent back what they had plundered to their master at Damascus.

And whereas there came a very small number of the Syrians, the Lord delivered into their hands an infinite multitude, because they had forsaken the Lord the God of their fathers: and on Joas they executed shameful judgments.

Et certe cum permodicus venisset numerus Syrorum, tradidit Dominus in manibus eorum infinitam multitudinem, eo quod dereliquissent Dominum Deum patrum suorum: in Joas quoque ignominiosa exercuere judicia.

It was but a small force of Syrians that came, yet the Lord gave them the mastery over a great host; and all because Juda had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. A shameful punishment Joas must undergo,

And departing they left him in great diseases: and his servants rose up against him, for revenge of the blood of the son of Joiada the priest, and they slew him in his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.

Et abeuntes dimiserunt eum in languoribus magnis: surrexerunt autem contra eum servi sui in ultionem sanguinis filii Jojadæ sacerdotis, et occiderunt eum in lectulo suo, et mortuus est: sepelieruntque eum in civitate David, sed non in sepulchris regum.

and when they left him, they left him a prey to heavy sickness. Then, in vengeance for the murder of the high priest’s son, courtiers of his own conspired against him and slew him in his bed. So dying, he received burial in the Keep of David, but not in the burying-place of the kings.

Now the men that conspired against him were Zabad the son of Semmaath an Ammonitess, and Jozabad the son of Semarith a Moabitess.

Insidiati vero sunt ei Zabad filius Semaath Ammanitidis, et Jozabad filius Semmarith Moabitidis.

It was Zabad, son of the Ammonitess Semmaath, and Josabad, son of the Moabitess Semarith, that made the plot against him.

And concerning his sons, and the sum of money which was gathered under him, and the repairing the house of God, they are written more diligently in the book of kings: and Amasias his son reigned in his stead.

Porro filii ejus, ac summa pecuniæ quæ adunata fuerat sub eo, et instauratio domus Dei, scripta sunt diligentius in libro regum: regnavit autem Amasias filius ejus pro eo.

What sons he had, what moneys he amassed, how he restored the house of God, may all be found set out in the Records of the Kings; and the throne passed to his son Amasias.