24:17 耶何耶大死後,猶大的眾首領來朝拜王;王就聽從他們。
24:18 他們離棄耶和華─他們列祖上帝的殿,去事奉亞舍拉和偶像;因他們這罪,就有忿怒臨到猶大和耶路撒冷。
24:19 但上帝仍遣先知到他們那裡,引導他們歸向耶和華。這先知警戒他們,他們卻不肯聽。
24:20 那時,上帝的靈感動祭司耶何耶大的兒子撒迦利亞,他就站在上面對民說:「上帝如此說:你們為何干犯耶和華的誡命,以致不得亨通呢?因為你們離棄耶和華,所以他也離棄你們。」
24:21 眾民同心謀害撒迦利亞,就照王的吩咐,在耶和華殿的院內用石頭打死他。
24:22 這樣,約阿施王不想念撒迦利亞的父親耶何耶大向自己所施的恩,殺了他的兒子。撒迦利亞臨死的時候說:「願耶和華鑒察伸冤!」
24:23 滿了一年,亞蘭的軍兵上來攻擊約阿施,來到猶大和耶路撒冷,殺了民中的眾首領,將所掠的財貨送到大馬士革王那裡。
24:24 亞蘭的軍兵雖來了一小隊,耶和華卻將大隊的軍兵交在他們手裡,是因猶大人離棄耶和華─他們列祖的上帝,所以藉亞蘭人懲罰約阿施。
24:25 亞蘭人離開約阿施的時候,他患重病;臣僕背叛他,要報祭司耶何耶大兒子流血之仇,殺他在床上,葬他在大衛城,只是不葬在列王的墳墓裡。
24:26 背叛他的是亞捫婦人示米押的兒子撒拔和摩押婦人示米利的兒子約薩拔。
24:27 至於他的眾子和他所受的警戒,並他重修上帝殿的事,都寫在列王的傳上。他兒子亞瑪謝接續他作王。
17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. 18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols. Because of their guilt, God’s anger came on Judah and Jerusalem. 19 Although the Lord sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’”
21 But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 22 King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.”
23 At the turn of the year,[a] the army of Aram marched against Joash; it invaded Judah and Jerusalem and killed all the leaders of the people. They sent all the plunder to their king in Damascus. 24 Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 25 When the Arameans withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against him for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him in his bed. So he died and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
26 Those who conspired against him were Zabad,[b] son of Shimeath an Ammonite woman, and Jehozabad, son of Shimrith[c] a Moabite woman. 27 The account of his sons, the many prophecies about him, and the record of the restoration of the temple of God are written in the annotations on the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.
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耶何耶大去世以後約阿施就變了樣,受到猶大的眾首領的影響,他們離棄耶和華─他們列祖上帝的殿,去事奉亞舍拉和偶像;因他們這罪,就有忿怒臨到猶大和耶路撒冷。
不僅如此先知的勸告都不聽,最後上帝的靈感動祭司耶何耶大的兒子撒迦利亞,他就站在上面對民說:「上帝如此說:你們為何干犯耶和華的誡命,以致不得亨通呢?因為你們離棄耶和華,所以他也離棄你們。」
約阿施最後和猶大百姓一起殺害了撒迦利亞,在耶和華殿的院內用石頭打死他。這樣,約阿施王不想念撒迦利亞的父親耶何耶大向自己所施的恩,殺了他的兒子。撒迦利亞臨死的時候說:「願耶和華鑒察伸冤!」
上帝後來真的伸冤:藉亞蘭人懲罰約阿施。亞蘭人離開約阿施的時候,他患重病;臣僕背叛他,要報祭司耶何耶大兒子流血之仇,殺他在床上,葬他在大衛城,只是不葬在列王的墳墓裡。
主耶穌在教訓百姓時也記念這事:「使創世以來所流眾先知血的罪都要問在這世代的人身上,就是從亞伯的血起,直到被殺在壇和殿中間撒迦利亞的血為止。我實在告訴你們,這都要問在這世代的人身上。」(路加福音11:50-51)