General Maxims

¹⁶ but they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord against his people became so great that there was no remedy.^(A)

¹⁵ The Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent to him a prophet, who said to him, “Why have you resorted to a people’s gods who could not deliver their own people from your hand?”^{(A) 16} But as he was speaking, the king^[a] said to him, “Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be put to death?” So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have not listened to my advice.”

²⁰ Then the spirit of God took possession of^[a] Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada; he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus says God: Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has also forsaken you.”^{(A) 21} But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the Lord.^{(B) 22} King Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him but killed his son. As he was dying, he said, “May the Lord see and avenge!”^(C)

²⁷ and say: Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him on reduced rations of bread and water until I come in peace.”^(A)

²⁴ Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up to Micaiah, slapped him on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”^(A)

²⁰ Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord,^(A)

¹⁷ When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?”^(A)