耶何耶大立约阿施为犹大王

23 第七年,耶何耶大发愤图强,召来一些百夫长与他们立约。他们是耶罗罕的儿子亚撒利雅,约哈难的儿子以实玛利,俄备得的儿子亚撒利雅,亚大雅的儿子玛西雅,以及细基利的儿子以利法。 他们走遍犹大各城,把利未人和以色列的各族长召集到耶路撒冷。 全体会众到上帝的殿中与王立约。耶何耶大对他们说:“王的儿子当做王!这是耶和华对大卫子孙的应许。 你们要这样做,三分之一在安息日值班的祭司和利未人要把守各门, 三分之一要把守王宫,三分之一要把守基址门,所有民众要留在耶和华殿的院子里。 只有祭司和供职的利未人可以进耶和华的殿,因为他们是圣洁的。其他人一律不准进殿。所有的人都要遵守耶和华的吩咐。 利未人要手持兵器护卫在王周围。凡擅自进殿的,一律处死。无论王去哪里,你们都要紧随左右。”

于是,利未人和所有犹大人遵照耶何耶大祭司的命令而行,各自带来在安息日值班和休班的属下,因为耶何耶大祭司没有让他们休班。 耶何耶大祭司把上帝殿中大卫王的矛枪和大小盾牌交给百夫长。 10 耶何耶大安排众民手持兵器,从殿右到殿左,在祭坛和殿周围护卫王, 11 然后他们领王子出来,给他戴上王冠,把律法书交给他。耶何耶大及其众子膏立王子为王。众人高呼:“愿王万岁!”

亚她利雅被处死

12 亚她利雅听到人们奔走称颂王的声音,便走进耶和华的殿,众人都聚集在那里。 13 她看见王站在门口的柱旁,百夫长和吹号的人侍立在王左右,众民都欢呼吹号,歌乐手用各种乐器带领众人唱歌颂扬,便撕裂衣服,喊道:“反了!反了!” 14 耶何耶大祭司认为不可在耶和华的殿里处死亚她利雅,便命令带兵的百夫长出来,对他们说:“把她带出去。要用刀杀死所有跟随她的人。” 15 他们抓住她,把她带到马匹进出王宫的入口,在那里杀了她。

耶何耶大的改革

16 耶何耶大让民众和王与他一起立约,要做耶和华的子民。 17 于是,民众出去拆毁了巴力庙,砸碎祭坛和偶像,在坛前杀了巴力的祭司玛坦。 18 耶何耶大照大卫的吩咐让利未祭司负责耶和华殿里的事务。大卫曾吩咐利未祭司在耶和华的殿中司职,照摩西的律法向耶和华献燔祭,欢呼歌唱。 19 耶何耶大还派门卫把守耶和华殿的各门,禁止一切不洁净的人入内。 20 他率领百夫长、贵族、首领和全体民众护送王从耶和华的殿里下来,经上门进入王宫,拥立王登上王位。 21 民众都欢喜快乐,城里安定,因为亚她利雅已死在刀下。

耶何耶大等人立约辅助王子(A)

23 到了第七年,耶何耶大奋勇图强,召来耶罗罕的儿子亚撒利雅、约哈难的儿子以实玛利、俄备得的儿子亚撒利雅、亚大雅的儿子玛西雅和细基利的儿子以利沙法等几位百夫长,和他们立约。 他们就走遍犹大,从犹大各城召集利未人和以色列各家族的首领;他们就来到耶路撒冷。 全体会众在 神的殿里与王立约。耶何耶大对他们说:“王的儿子应当按照耶和华应许大卫的子孙的话作王。 你们要这样行:你们中间每逢安息日来值班的祭司和利未人,三分之一要把守各门; 三分之一要在王宫,三分之一要在基址门;全体人民都要在耶和华殿的院子里。 除了祭司和供职的利未人以外,任何人不得进入耶和华的殿,只有他们可以进去,因为他们是分别为圣的;全体人民都要遵守耶和华的吩咐。 利未人要在周围环绕君王,各人手里拿着武器;擅自进殿的,都必被处死;王出入的时候,你们都要随着他。” 利未人和犹大众人都照着耶何耶大祭司吩咐的一切去行;他们各人带着在安息日值班或在安息日下班的人来,因为耶何耶大祭司不准他们下班。 于是耶何耶大祭司把 神的殿里,原本属于大卫王的矛枪、大盾和小盾,交给了众百夫长; 10 他又分派众民,手中各拿兵器,守在祭坛和殿的四周,从殿的右面到殿的左面,环绕着王。 11 于是他们把王子领出来,给他戴上王冠,又把约书交给他,立他为王;耶何耶大和他的众子用膏膏他,并且说:“愿王万岁!”

亚他利雅被杀(B)

12 亚他利雅听见人民奔跑和赞美王的声音,就进了耶和华的殿,到众民那里去。 13 她一观看,见王站在殿门口的柱旁,众官长和吹号的人在王的周围;国民都欢乐吹号,又有歌唱的人用各种乐器领导众人歌颂。于是亚他利雅撕裂衣服,说:“反了!反了!” 14 耶何耶大祭司把管辖军队的众百夫长叫出来,对他们说:“把她从各班次中间赶出去;跟随她的人,都要用刀杀死。”因为祭司说:“不可在耶和华的殿内杀死她。” 15 她走到王宫的马门入口的时候,众兵就把她拿住,在那里把她杀死了。

耶何耶大的改革(C)

16 耶何耶大与众民和王立约,要他们作耶和华的子民。 17 于是众民都去到巴力庙,把庙拆毁,打碎祭坛和偶像,又在祭坛前杀了巴力的祭司玛坦。 18 耶何耶大把看守耶和华殿的责任,交在利未支派的祭司手里;这些利未支派的祭司是大卫分派在耶和华的殿中,照着摩西的律法所记的,给耶和华献燔祭,又照着大卫所定的,欢乐歌唱。 19 他又设立守门的看守耶和华殿的各门,无论为了甚么事,不洁净的人,都不能进去。 20 他率领百夫长、贵族、民间的官长和国民,又把王从耶和华的殿领下来,从“上门”进入王宫,拥立王坐在王位上。 21 于是全国的人民都欢乐,全城也都宁静;因为他们把亚他利雅用刀杀了。

Chapter 23

Athaliah Overthrown. (A)In the seventh year, Jehoiada took courage and brought into covenant with himself the captains: Azariah, son of Jehoram; Ishmael, son of Jehohanan; Azariah, son of Obed; Maaseiah, son of Adaiah; and Elishaphat, son of Zichri. They journeyed about Judah, gathering the Levites from all the cities of Judah and also the heads of the Israelite families, and they came to Jerusalem. The whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada said to them: “Here is the king’s son who must reign, as the Lord promised concerning the sons of David. This is what you must do: a third of your number, both priests and Levites, who come on duty on the sabbath must guard the thresholds, another third must be at the king’s house, and the final third at the Foundation Gate, when all the people will be in the courts of the Lord’s house. Let no one enter the Lord’s house except the priests and those Levites who are ministering. They may enter because they are holy; but all the other people must observe the prescriptions of the Lord. The Levites shall surround the king on all sides, each with drawn weapon. Whoever tries to enter the house is to be killed. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”

The Levites and all Judah did just as Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each took his troops, both those going on duty for the week and those going off duty that week, since Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed any of the divisions.(B) Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains the spears, shields, and bucklers of King David which were in the house of God. 10 He stationed all the people, each with spear in hand, from the southern to the northern limit of the enclosure, surrounding the altar and the temple on the king’s behalf. 11 Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown and the testimony upon him, and proclaimed him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they cried, “Long live the king!”

12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and acclaiming the king, she came before them in the house of the Lord. 13 When she saw the king standing by his column[a] at the entrance, the captains and the trumpeters near the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with their musical instruments were leading the acclaim, Athaliah tore her garments, saying, “Treason! treason!” 14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains in command of the force: “Escort her with a guard detail. If anyone follows her, let him die by the sword.” For the priest had said, “You must not put her to death in the house of the Lord.” 15 So they seized her, and when she reached the Horse Gate of the royal palace, they put her to death.

16 Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. 17 Thereupon all the people went to the temple of Baal and demolished it. They shattered its altars and images completely, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before the altars. 18 Then Jehoiada gave the charge of the Lord’s house into the hands of the levitical priests, to whom David had assigned turns in the Lord’s house for sacrificing the burnt offerings of the Lord, as is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and song, as David had provided.(C) 19 Moreover, he stationed guards at the gates of the Lord’s house so that no one unclean in any respect might enter. 20 Then he took the captains, the nobles, the rulers among the people, and all the people of the land, and led the king out of the Lord’s house; they came within the upper gate of the king’s house, and seated the king upon the royal throne. 21 All the people of the land rejoiced and the city was quiet, now that Athaliah had been slain with the sword.

Footnotes

  1. 23:13 By his column: there was a special place reserved for the king in the eastern gateway of the Temple court where the altar for burnt offerings stood. The king occupied this place on feasts and sabbaths at the time of the prescribed offerings, or when he came to make voluntary offerings of his own; cf. 2 Kgs 11:14 and Ez 46:1–8.