Lièwángjìxià 22

1 Yuēxīyà dēng jī de shíhou nián bā suì , zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng zuò wáng sān shí yī nián . tā mǔqin míng jiào yé dǐ dà , shì Bōsī jiā rén Yàdàyǎ de nǚér .

2 Yuēxīyà xíng Yēhéhuá yǎn zhōng kàn wéi zhēng de shì , xíng tā zǔ Dàwèi yīqiè suǒ xíng de , bú piān zuǒyòu .

3 Yuēxīyà wáng shí bā nián , wáng chāiqiǎn Mǐshūlán de sūnzi , Yàsà lì de érzi shū jì shā pān shàng Yēhéhuá diàn qù , fēnfu tā shuō ,

4 Nǐ qù jiàn Dàjìsī Xīlèjiā , shǐ tā jiāng fèng dào Yēhéhuá diàn de yínzi , jiù shì shǒu mén de cóng mín zhōng shōujù de yínzi , shǔ suàn shǔ suàn ,

5 Jiāo gĕi Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ bàn shì de rén , shǐ tāmen zhuǎn jiāo Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ zuò gōng de rén , hǎo xiūlǐ diàn de pò huaì zhī chù ,

6 Jiù shì zhuǎn jiāo mùjiang hé gōngrén , bìng wà jiàng , yòu mǎi mù liào hé zaó chéng de shítou xiūlǐ diàn yǔ ,

7 Jiāng yínzi jiāo zaì bàn shì de rén shǒu lǐ , bù yǔ tāmen suànzhàng , yīnwei tāmen bàn shì chéngshí .

8 Dàjìsī Xīlèjiā duì shū jì shā pān shuō , wǒ zaì Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ dé le lǜfǎ shū . Xīlèjiā jiāng shū dìgĕi shā pān , shā pān jiù kàn le .

9 Shū jì shā pān dào wáng nàli , huí fù wáng shuō , nǐde púrén yǐ jiāng diàn lǐ de yínzi dǎo chū shǔ suàn , jiāo gĕi Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ bàn shì de rén le .

10 Shū jì shā pān yòu duì wáng shuō , jìsī Xīlèjiā dìgĕi wǒ yī juǎn shū . shā pān jiù zaì wáng miànqián dù nà shū .

11 Wáng tīngjian lǜfǎ shū shàng de huà , biàn sī liè yīfu ,

12 Fēnfu jìsī Xīlèjiā yǔ shā pān de érzi yà xī gān , Mǐgāiyà de érzi Yàgébō , shū jì shā pān hé wáng de chénpú Yàsā yǎ , shuō ,

13 Nǐmen qù wèi wǒ , wéi mín , wèi Yóudà zhòngrén , yǐ zhè shū shàng de huà qiú wèn Yēhéhuá . yīnwei wǒmen lièzǔ méiyǒu tīng cóng zhè shū shàng de yányǔ , méiyǒu zūn zhe shū shàng suǒ fēnfu wǒmen de qù xíng , Yēhéhuá jiù xiàng wǒmen dà fā liè nù .

14 Yúshì , jìsī Xīlèjiā hé yà xī gān , Yàgébō , shā pān , Yàsā yǎ dōu qù jiàn nǚ xiānzhī Hùlè dà . Hùlè dà shì zhǎng guǎn lǐfú Shālóng de qī . Shālóng shì hā Ěr hā sī de sūnzi , tè wà de érzi . Hùlè dà zhù zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng dì èr ōu . tāmen qǐngwèn yú tā .

15 Tā duì tāmen shuō , Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè de shén rúcǐ shuō , nǐmen kĕyǐ huí fù nà chāiqiǎn nǐmen lái jiàn wǒde rén shuō ,

16 Yēhéhuá rúcǐ shuō , wǒ bì zhào zhe Yóudà wáng suǒ dú nà shū shàng de yīqiè huà , jiàng huò yǔ zhè dì hé qí shàn de jūmín .

17 Yīnwei tāmen lí qì wǒ , xiàng bié shén shāoxiāng , yòng tāmen shǒu suǒ zuò de rĕ wǒ fānù , suǒyǐ wǒde fèn nù bì xiàng zhè dì fā zuò , zǒng bù zhǐxī .

18 Ránér , chāiqiǎn nǐmen lái qiú wèn Yēhéhuá de Yóudà wáng , nǐmen yào zhèyàng huí fù tā shuō , Yēhéhuá Yǐsèliè de shén rúcǐ shuō , zhìyú nǐ suǒ tīngjian de huà ,

19 Jiù shì tīngjian wǒ zhǐ zhe zhè dì hé qí shàng de jūmín suǒ shuō , yào shǐ zhè dì biàn wèi huāng cháng , mín shòu zhòuzǔ de huà , nǐ biān xīnli jìng fù , zaì wǒ miànqián zìbēi , sī liè yīfu , xiàng wǒ kūqì , yīncǐ wǒ yīngyún le nǐ . zhè shì wǒ Yēhéhuá shuō de .

20 Wǒ bì shǐ nǐ píng píngān ān dì guī dào fùnmù dào nǐ lièzǔ nàli . wǒ yào jiàng yǔ zhè dì de yīqiè zāihuò , nǐ yĕ bù zhì qīnyǎn kànjian . tāmen jiù huí fù wáng qù le .

Lièwángjìxià 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

Josiah's good reign, His care for repairing the temple, The book of the law found. (1-10) Josiah consults Huldah the prophetess. (11-20)

Verses 1-10 The different event of Josiah's early succession from that of Manasseh, must be ascribed to the distinguishing grace of God; yet probably the persons that trained him up were instruments in producing this difference. His character was most excellent. Had the people joined in the reformation as heartily as he persevered in it, blessed effects would have followed. But they were wicked, and had become fools in idolatry. We do not obtain full knowledge of the state of Judah from the historical records, unless we refer to the writings of the prophets who lived at the time. In repairing the temple, the book of the law was found, and brought to the king. It seems, this book of the law was lost and missing; carelessly mislaid and neglected, as some throw their Bibles into corners, or maliciously concealed by some of the idolaters. God's care of the Bible plainly shows his interest in it. Whether this was the only copy in being or not, the things contained in it were new, both to the king and to the high priest. No summaries, extracts, or collections out of the Bible, can convey and preserve the knowledge of God and his will, like the Bible itself. It was no marvel that the people were so corrupt, when the book of the law was so scarce; they that corrupted them, no doubt, used arts to get that book out of their hands. The abundance of Bibles we possess aggravates our national sins; for what greater contempt of God can we show, than to refuse to read his word when put into our hands, or, reading it, not to believe and obey it? By the holy law is the knowledge of sin, and by the blessed gospel is the knowledge of salvation. When the former is understood in its strictness and excellence, the sinner begins to inquire, What must I do to be saved? And the ministers of the gospel point out to him Jesus Christ, as the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Verses 11-20 The book of the law is read before the king. Those best honour their Bibles, who study them; daily feed on that bread, and walk by that light. Convictions of sin and wrath should put us upon this inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? Also, what we may expect, and must provide for. Those who are truly apprehensive of the weight of God's wrath, cannot but be very anxious how they may be saved. Huldah let Josiah know what judgments God had in store for Judah and Jerusalem. The generality of the people were hardened, and their hearts unhumbled, but Josiah's heart was tender. This is tenderness of heart, and thus he humbled himself before the Lord. Those who most fear God's wrath, are least likely to feel it. Though Josiah was mortally wounded in battle, yet he died in peace with God, and went to glory. Whatever such persons suffer or witness, they are gathered to the grave in peace, and shall enter into the rest which remaineth for the people of God.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 22

This chapter begins with the age and character of Josiah king of Judah, 2Ki 22:1-2, relates his orders for repairing the temple, 2Ki 22:3-7, his attention to the book of the law, which was found, and read to him, and the effect it had upon him, 2Ki 22:8-11, the command he gave to certain persons to inquire of the Lord about it, who applied to Huldah the prophetess, 2Ki 22:12-14, who returned an answer by them to the king, foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, and giving the reason of it, and at the same time assuring the king it should not be in his days, 2Ki 22:15-20.