³⁵ so that on you may come all ^(A)the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous ^(B)Abel to the blood of ^(C)Zechariah the son of Barachiah,^[a] whom you murdered between ^(D)the sanctuary and ^(E)the altar.

A Call to Return to the Lord

1 In the eighth month, ^(A)in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet ^(B)Zechariah, the son of ^(C)Berechiah, son of ^(D)Iddo, saying,

⁴ By faith ^(A)Abel offered to God ^(B)a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And ^(C)through his faith, though he died, he ^(D)still speaks.

⁸ Cain spoke to Abel his brother.^[a] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and ^(A)killed him.

¹⁵ Only know for certain that if you put me to death, ^(A)you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”

Joash's Treachery

^20 (A)Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah ^(B)the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ^(C)‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? ^(D)Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’” ²¹ But ^(E)they conspired against him, ^(F)and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. ²² Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see ^(G)and avenge!”^[a]

⁴ and also ^(A)for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon.

^16 (A)Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin ^(B)that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.