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killed them all. For the sister of Ochozias, called Josabe, when the sons of her brother were being killed, was able to hide one, who was an infant, named Joas, and she secretly raised him for six years. In the seventh year, Jodae the high priest, to whom Josabe was married, having summoned some of the centurions, showed Joas to them, and having conferred with the men he persuades them to rise up against Gotholia, and to restore the ancestral kingdom to the boy. And they, having confirmed their agreements with oaths, departed and gathered the priests and Levites and tribal leaders to Jodae. And he showed Joas to them, saying "This is your king from the seed of David." And he surrounded the temple with the people, and having placed Joas in the middle he both placed a diadem on him and poured the anointing oil upon him he declared him king; and the people acclaimed him. But Gotholia, hearing the shout, rushed out from the palace in a state of confusion, her army also following her. And when she came into the temple, the priests received her inside, but the crowd barred the 1.156 entrance to those with her. And when she saw the boy crowned she threatened to kill those who had attempted to take her rule. But Jodae commanded the centurions to drag Gotholia outside and kill her. And so they did, and Jodae made both the king and the people swear to honor God and to keep the laws. And immediately going to the temple of Baal, they both tore it down and smashed the idols of Baal and killed the priest. And they installed the king in the palace, who happened to be seven years old at the time. And for the high priest Jodae it was a great concern that faith in the divine be maintained and the laws be kept. However, when the king came of age, he took two wives. And since the temple had been pulled down in some parts by Gotholia, Joas was eager to restore it. And summoning the priest Jodae he ordered him to send men to ask from the whole country for the repair of the temple a half-shekel of silver per head. But Jodae, understanding that this would be considered a burden to the people, pursued the collection of the money in another way. For having made a certain chest closed on all sides, he made a hole in it from above, and he placed it beside the temple, and he asked people to put through the hole as much as each one wished for the restoration of the temple. Therefore, since what was to be given was left to the choice of each person, they both made the donation without burden and they were zealous about the payment of the money, so that much gold was gathered and a great deal of silver, from which the temple was repaired and many vessels for the sacrifices were made, which were generously offered to God as long as Jodae lived. But when he, having lived justly and according to the law for one hundred and 1.157 thirty years, had thus departed this life, King Joas became neglectful concerning honor to the divine, and the tribal leaders and the other rulers of the people were corrupted along with him, and though prophets testified against them concerning their impiety toward God, they did not cease. And when Zacharias, the son of the high priest Jodae, was prophesying and exhorting the king and the people to live according to the laws, Joas, being angry, commanded him to be stoned. And as he was being killed, the prophet prayed that God would judge why he was being deprived of his life by the one who had been benefited by his father. And indeed He judged quickly; for the king of the Syrians, Azael, came and besieged Jerusalem. And he, having taken all the treasures, both the sacred and the royal, and whatever was in votive offerings, gave them to Azael; who, being pleased with the amount of money, refrained from the siege. But this Syrian, attacking the Israelites, afflicted them greatly. And Jehu, the king of the Israelites, having become a transgressor of the divine commandments, and having reigned for twenty-seven years, died; and Joachaz his son took the kingdom. During his reign, the leader of the Syrians afflicted the country, both seizing many of his cities his army a work of the sword

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ἀπέκτεινεν απαντας. ἡ γὰρ ἀδελφὴ ̓Οχοζίου ̓Ιωσαβεὲ καλουμένη, ἀναιρουμένων τῶν υἱῶν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῆς, ἠδυνήθη ενα νήπιον οντα, ονομα ̓Ιωάς, ἀποκρύψαι, καὶ ετρεφεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ ετη εξ λεληθότως. ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ̓Ιωδαὲ ὁ ἀρχιερεύς, ῳ συνῴκει ἡ ̓Ιωσαβεέ, προσκαλεσάμενός τινας τῶν ἑκατοντάρχων, ὑπέδειξεν ἐκείνοις τὸν ̓Ιωάς, καὶ κοινολογησάμενος τοῖς ἀνδράσι πείθει τῇ μὲν Γοθολίᾳ ἐπαναστῆναι, τῷ δὲ παιδὶ τὴν πατρῴαν βασιλείαν ἐπανασώσασθαι. οι καὶ ορκοις τὰς ὁμολογίας πιστώσαντες ἀπῆλθον καὶ συνήθροισαν τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας καὶ φυλάρχους πρὸς τὸν ̓Ιωδαέ. ὁ δὲ αὐτοῖς τὸν ̓Ιωὰς ἐνεφάνισε λέγων "ουτος ὑμῖν βασιλεὺς ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ ∆αβίδ." καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν περιεκύκλωσε τῷ λαῷ, μέσον δὲ στήσας τὸν ̓Ιωὰς διάδημά τε αὐτῷ περιέθετο καὶ τὸ τῆς χρίσεως ελαιον καταχέας αὐτοῦ βασιλέα ἀπέδειξε· καὶ ὁ λαὸς ἐπευφήμησε. τῆς δὲ βοῆς ἡ Γοθολία ἀκούσασα, τῶν βασιλείων τεθορυβημένη ἐξέθορεν, ἑπομένης αὐτῇ καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς. ἐλθοῦσαν δὲ εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν τὴν μὲν ἐντὸς οἱ ἱερεῖς εἰσεδέξαντο, τοῖς δὲ περὶ αὐτὴν τὸ πλῆθος ἀπεῖρξε τὴν 1.156 εισοδον. ἡ δὲ τὸν παῖδα ἐστεμμένον ἰδοῦσα ἠπείλησεν ἀνελεῖν τοὺς τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτῆς ἐπικεχειρηκότας. ̓Ιωδαὲ δὲ τοῖς ἑκατοντάρχαις ἐπέτρεψεν εξω τὴν Γοθολίαν ἑλκύσαντας ἀναιρῆσαι. καὶ οἱ μὲν ουτως ἐποίησαν, ̓Ιωδαὲ δὲ τόν τε βασιλέα καὶ τὸν λαὸν ωρκωσε τιμᾶν τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοὺς νόμους τηρεῖν. καὶ ἐπελθόντες αὐτίκα τῷ τοῦ Βάαλ ναῷ κατέσκαψάν τε αὐτὸν καὶ τὰ ἰνδάλματα τοῦ Βάαλ συνέτριψαν καὶ τὸν ἱερέα ἀπέκτειναν. τὸν δὲ βασιλέα ἐγκαθιστᾶσιν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια, ἑπταέτη τότε τυγχάνοντα. τῷ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖ ̓Ιωδαὲ τήν τε πρὸς τὸ θεῖον πίστιν τηρεῖσθαι καὶ τοὺς νόμους φυλάττεσθαι σφόδρα ἐμέλησεν. ̔Ηβήσας μέντοι ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ γυναῖκας ἠγάγετο δύο. τοῦ δὲ ναοῦ καθαιρεθέντος εν τισι μέρεσι παρὰ Γοθολίας, ὁ ̓Ιωὰς ἀνακαινίσαι αὐτὸν προτεθύμητο. καὶ τὸν ἱερέα καλέσας ̓Ιωδαὲ ἐκέλευσε πέμψαι τοὺς αἰτήσοντας ἐκ πάσης τῆς χώρας εἰς τὴν ἐπισκευὴν τοῦ ναοῦ ὑπὲρ ἑκάστης κεφαλῆς ἀργυρίου ἡμίσικλον. ̓Ιωδαὲ δὲ φορτικὸν τοῦτο τῷ λαῷ συνεὶς λογισθήσεσθαι, ἑτέρως μέτεισι τῶν χρημάτων τὸν ερανον. κιβώτιον γάρ τι κατασκευάσας πάντοθεν κεκλεισμένον, τρῆμά τι πεποίηκεν ανωθεν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ εθετο αὐτὸ παρὰ τὸν ναόν, καὶ ἠξίου ἐμβάλλειν διὰ τοῦ τρήματος οσον ἑκάστῳ ην πρὸς βουλῆς εἰς ἀνακαινισμὸν τοῦ ναοῦ. οτι γοῦν εἰς τὴν ἑκάστου προαίρεσιν ἀνεῖτο τὸ δοθησόμενον, ἀνεπαχθῶς τε τὴν δόσιν πεποίηντο καὶ ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο περὶ τὴν τῶν χρημάτων καταβολήν, ωστε πολὺ χρυσίον ἀθροισθῆναι καὶ πλεῖστον ἀργύριον, ἐξ ων ο τε ναὸς ἐπεσκευάσθη καὶ σκεύη πολλὰ πρὸς τὰς θυσίας εἰργάσθησαν, αι φιλότιμοι μέχρις ἐβίω ̓Ιωδαὲ προσήγοντο τῷ θεῷ. ἐκείνου δὲ δικαίως καὶ κατὰ νόμον ζήσαντος ετη ἑκατὸν πρὸς 1.157 τριάκοντα καὶ ουτω τὸν βίον ἐκλελοιπότος, ἀμελῶς περὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ θεῖον διετέθη τιμὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς ̓Ιωάς, καί οἱ καὶ οἱ φύλαρχοι καὶ οἱ αλλως ἐξάρχοντες τοῦ πλήθους συνδιεφθάρησαν, καὶ προφητῶν δὲ διαμαρτυρομένων αὐτοῖς περὶ τῆς εἰς θεὸν ἀσεβείας, οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἐπαύσαντο. Ζαχαρίου δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ̓Ιωδαὲ προφητεύοντος καὶ παραινοῦντος τὸν βασιλέα καὶ τὸν λαὸν κατὰ νόμους ζῆν, ὁ ̓Ιωὰς χαλεπήνας καταλευσθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκέλευσεν. ἀναιρούμενος δὲ ὁ προφήτης δικάσαι τὸν θεὸν ηυξατο ἀνθ' οτου τῆς ζωῆς στερεῖται παρὰ τοῦ εὐεργετηθέντος ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. καὶ μέντοι καὶ ταχέως ἐδίκασεν· ὁ γὰρ τῶν Σύρων βασιλεὺς ̓Αζαὴλ ἐπελθὼν ἐπολιόρκει τὴν ̔Ιερουσαλήμ. ὁ δὲ πάντας τοὺς θησαυροὺς τούς τε θείους καὶ τοὺς βασιλικοὺς ἀφελόμενος καὶ οσα ἐν ἀναθήμασι, τῷ ̓Αζαὴλ παρέσχετο· ος τῷ πλήθει τῶν χρημάτων ἡσθεὶς τῆς πολιορκίας ἀπέσχετο. Τοῖς δὲ ̓Ισραηλίταις ὁ Σύρος ουτος ἐπιτιθέμενος ἐκάκου αὐτοὺς σφόδρα. ̓Ιηοὺ δὲ ὁ τῶν ̓Ισραηλιτῶν βασιλεύς, παραβάτης τῶν θείων γεγονὼς ἐντολῶν, καὶ βασιλεύσας ετη εικοσι καὶ ἑπτά, τέθνηκεν· τῆς βασιλείας δὲ ἐπελάβετο ̓Ιωάχαζ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ. ου βασιλεύοντος ὁ τῶν Σύρων ἀρχηγὸς τὴν χώραν ἐκάκωσε, πόλεις τε πολλὰς αὐτοῦ κατασχὼν τὴν στρατιὰν αὐτοῦ μαχαίρας εργον