Lièwángjìxià 23

1 Wáng chāiqiǎn rén zhāo jù Yóudà hé Yēlùsǎlĕng de zhòng zhǎnglǎo lái .

2 Wáng hé Yóudà zhòngrén yǔ Yēlùsǎlĕng de jūmín , bìng jìsī , xiānzhī , hé suǒyǒude bǎixìng , wúlùn dà xiǎo , dōu yītóng shàng dào Yēhéhuá de diàn . wáng jiù bǎ Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ suǒ dé de yuē shū niàn gĕi tāmen tīng .

3 Wáng zhàn zaì zhù páng , zaì Yēhéhuá miànqián lì yuē , yào jìnxīn jìn xìng dì shùncóng Yēhéhuá , zūnshǒu tāde jièmìng , fǎdù , lǜ lì , chéngjiù zhè shū shàng suǒ jì de yuē yán . zhòng mín dōu fù cóng zhè yuē .

4 Wáng fēnfu Dàjìsī Xīlèjiā hé fù jìsī , bìng bǎ mén de , jiāng nà wèi bāLìhé yà shĕ là , bìng tiān shàng wàn xiàng suǒ zào de qìmǐn , dōu cóng Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ bān chūlai , zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng waì Jílúnxī páng de tiánjiān shāo le , bǎ huī ná dào Bótèlì qù .

5 Cóng qián Yóudà liè wáng suǒ lì baì ǒuxiàng de jìsī , zaì Yóudà chéngyì de qiū tán hé Yēlùsǎlĕng de zhōuwéi shāoxiāng , xiànzaì wáng dōu feì qù , yòu feì qù xiàng bāLìhé rì , yuè , xíng xīng ( huò zuò shí èr gōng ) , bìng tiān shàng wàn xiàng shāoxiāng de rén .

6 Yòu cóng Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ jiāng yà shĕ là bān dào Yēlùsǎlĕng waì Jílúnxī biān fùnshāo , dá suì chéng huī , jiāng huī sǎ zaì píng mín de fùn shàng .

7 Yòu chāihuǐ Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ luán tóng de wūzi , jiù shì fùnǚ wèi yà shĕ là zhī zhàng zǐ de wūzi ,

8 Bìngqiĕ cóng Yóudà de chéngyì daì zhòng jìsī lái , wūhuì jìsī shāoxiāng de qiū tán , cóng Jiābā zhídào Bièshìbā , yòu chāihuǐ chéng mén páng de qiū tán , zhè qiū tán zaì yì zǎi Yuēshūyà mén qián , jìn chéng mén de zuǒbiān .

9 Dànshì qiū tán de jìsī bù dēng Yēlùsǎlĕng Yēhéhuá de tán , zhǐ zaì tāmen dìxiōng zhōngjiān chī wú jiào bǐng .

10 Yòu wūhuì Xīnnènzǐ gǔ de tuó fĕi tè , bù xǔ rén zaì nàli shǐ érnǚ jīng huǒ xiàn gĕi mó luò .

11 Yòu jiāng Yóudà liè wáng zaì Yēhéhuá diàn mén páng , taì jiān Nádān mǐ lè kàojìn yóu láng de wūzi , xiàng rìtou suǒ xiàn de mǎ feì qù , qiĕ yòng huǒ fùnshāo rì chē .

12 Yóudà liè wáng zaì Yàhāsī lóu dǐng shàng suǒ zhú de tán hé Mǎnáxī zaì Yēhéhuá diàn liǎng yuàn zhōng suǒ zhú de tán , wáng dōu chāihuǐ dá suì le , jiù bǎ huī dǎo zaì Jílúnxī zhōng .

13 Cóng qián Yǐsèliè wáng Suǒluómén zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng qián , xié pì shān yòubiān wèi Xīdùn rén kĕ zēng de shén Yàsītālù , Móyē rén kĕ zēng de shén jī mò , Yàmén rén kĕ zēng de shén mǐ lè gōng suǒ zhú de qiū tán , wáng dōu wūhuì le ,

14 Yòu dá suì zhù xiàng , kǎn xià mùǒu , jiāng rén de gútou chōngmǎn le nà dìfang .

15 Tā jiāng Bótèlì de tán , jiù shì jiào Yǐsèliè rén xiàn zaì zuì lǐ , ní bā de érzi Yéluóbōān suǒ zhú de nà tán , dōu chāihuǐ fùnshāo , dá suì chéng huī , bìng fùnshāo le yà shĕ là .

16 Yuēxīyà huí tóu , kànjian shān shàng de fùnmù , jiù dǎfa rén jiāng fùnmù lǐ de háigǔ qǔ chūlai , shāo zaì tán shàng , wūhuì le tán , zhēng rú cóng qián shén rén xuānchuán Yēhéhuá de huà .

17 Yuēxīyà wèn shuō , wǒ suǒ kànjian de shì shénme bēi . nà chéng lǐ de rén huídá shuō , xiānqián yǒu shén rén cóng Yóudà lái , yùxiān shuō wáng xiànzaì xiàng Bótèlì tán suǒ xíng de shì , zhè jiù shì tāde mù bēi .

18 Yuēxīyà shuō , yóu tā bā . búyào nuó yí tāde háigǔ . tāmen jiù bù dòng tāde háigǔ , yĕ bù dòng cóng sǎ Mǎlìyà lái nà xiānzhī de háigǔ .

19 Cóng qián Yǐsèliè zhū wáng zaì sǎ Mǎlìyà de chéngyì jiànzhù qiū tán de diàn , rĕ dòng Yēhéhuá de nùqì , xiànzaì Yuēxīyà dōu feì qù le , jiù rú tā zaì Bótèlì suǒ xíng de yìbān .

20 Yòu jiāng qiū tán de jìsī dōu shā zaì tán shàng , bìng zaì tán shàng shāo rén de gútou , jiù huí Yēlùsǎlĕng qù le .

21 Wáng fēnfu zhòng mín shuō , nǐmen dāng zhào zhè yuē shū shàng suǒ xiĕ de , xiàng Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén shǒu Yúyuèjié .

22 Zì cóng shì shī zhìlǐ Yǐsèliè rén hé Yǐsèliè wáng , Yóudà wáng de shíhou , zhídào rújīn , shízaì méiyǒu shǒu guō zhèyàng de Yúyuèjié .

23 Zhǐyǒu Yuēxīyà wáng shí bā nián zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng xiàng Yēhéhuá shǒu zhè Yúyuèjié .

24 Fán Yóudà guó hé Yēlùsǎlĕng suǒ yǒu jiāo guǐ de , xíng wū shù de , yǔ jiā zhōng de shénxiàng hé ǒuxiàng , bìng yīqiè kĕ zēng zhī wù , Yuēxīyà jǐn dōu chúdiào , chéngjiù le jìsī Xīlèjiā zaì Yēhéhuá diàn lǐ suǒ dé lǜfǎ shū shàng suǒ xiĕ de huà .

25 Zaì Yuēxīyà yǐqián méiyǒu wáng xiàng tā jìnxīn , jìn xìng , jìnlì dì guī xiàng Yēhéhuá , zūnxíng Móxī de yīqiè lǜfǎ . zaì tā yǐhòu yĕ méiyǒu xīngqǐ yī gè wáng xiàng tā .

26 Ránér , Yēhéhuá xiàng Yóudà suǒ fā mĕng liè de nùqì réng bù zhǐxī , shì yīn Mǎnáxī zhū shì rĕ dòng tā .

27 Yēhéhuá shuō , wǒ bìjiāng Yóudà rén cóng wǒ miànqián gǎn chū , rútóng gǎn chū Yǐsèliè rén yìbān . wǒ bì qì diào wǒ cóng qián suǒ xuǎnzé de zhè chéng Yēlùsǎlĕng hé wǒ suǒ shuō lì wǒ míng de diàn .

28 Yuēxīyà qíyú de shì , fán tā suǒ xíng de dōu xiĕ zaì Yóudà liè wáng jì shàng .

29 Yuēxīyà nián jiān , Āijí wáng fǎlǎo ní gē shàng dào Bólā hé gōngjī Yàshù wáng . Yuēxīyà wáng qù dǐdǎng tā . Āijí wáng yùjiàn Yuēxīyà zaì Mǐjíduō , jiù shā le tā .

30 Tāde chénpú yòng chē jiāng tāde shī shǒu cóng Mǐjíduō sòng dào Yēlùsǎlĕng , zàng zaì tā zìjǐ de fùnmù lǐ . guó mín gāo Yuēxīyà de érzi yuē hā sī jiēxù tā fùqin zuò wáng .

31 Yuē hā sī dēng jī de shíhou nián èr shí sān suì , zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng zuò wáng sān gè yuè . tā mǔqin míng jiào hā mù tā , shì Lìná rén Yēlìmǐ de nǚér .

32 Yuē hā sī xíng Yēhéhuá yǎn zhōng kàn wéi è de shì , xiàofǎ tā lièzǔ yīqiè suǒ xíng de .

33 Fǎlǎo ní gē jiāng yuē hā sī suǒ jīn zaì Hāmǎ dì de lì Bǐlā , bù xǔ tā zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng zuò wáng , yòu fá Yóudà guó yínzi yī bǎi tā lián dé , jīnzi yī tā lián dé .

34 Fǎlǎo ní gē lì Yuēxīyà de érzi Yǐlìyàjìng jiēxù tā fùqin Yuēxīyà zuò wáng , gĕi tā gǎi míng jiào yuē yǎ jìng , què jiāng yuē hā sī daì dào Āijí , tā jiù sǐ zaì nàli .

35 Yuē yǎ jìng jiāng jīn yín gĕi fǎlǎo , zūn zhe fǎlǎo de méng xiàng guó mín zhēng qǔ jīn yín , àn zhe gèrén de lìliang paì déng , suǒ yào jīn yín , hǎo gĕi fǎlǎo ní gē .

36 Yuē yǎ jìng dēng jī de shíhou nián èr shí wǔ suì , zaì Yēlùsǎlĕng zuò wáng shí yī nián . tā mǔqin míng jiào xī bù dà , shì lǔ mǎ rén Pídàyǎ de nǚér .

37 Yuē yǎ jìng xíng Yēhéhuá yǎn zhōng kàn wéi è de shì , xiàofǎ tā lièzǔ yīqiè suǒ xíng de .

Lièwángjìxià 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

Josiah reads the law, and renews the covenant. (1-3) He destroys idolatry. (4-14) The reformation extended to Israel, A passover kept. (15-24) Josiah slain by Pharaoh-nechoh. (25-30) Wicked reigns of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim. (31-37)

Verses 1-3 Josiah had received a message from God, that there was no preventing the ruin of Jerusalem, but that he should only deliver his own soul; yet he does his duty, and leaves the event to God. He engaged the people in the most solemn manner to abolish idolatry, and to serve God in righteousness and true holiness. Though most were formal or hypocritical herein, yet much outward wickedness would be prevented, and they were accountable to God for their own conduct.

Verses 4-14 What abundance of wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem! One would not have believed it possible, that in Judah, where God was known, in Israel, where his name was great, in Salem, in Zion, where his dwelling-place was, such abominations should be found. Josiah had reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to the Divine law; yet, when he came to search for idolatry, the depth and extent were very great. Both common history, and the records of God's word, teach, that all the real godliness or goodness ever found on earth, is derived from the new-creating Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Verses 15-24 Josiah's zeal extended to the cities of Israel within his reach. He carefully preserved the sepulchre of that man of God, who came from Judah to foretell the throwing down of Jeroboam's altar. When they had cleared the country of the old leaven of idolatry, then they applied themselves to the keeping of the feast. There was not holden such a passover in any of the foregoing reigns. The revival of a long-neglected ordinance, filled them with holy joy; and God recompensed their zeal in destroying idolatry with uncommon tokens of his presence and favour. We have reason to think that during the remainder of Josiah's reign, religion flourished.

Verses 25-30 Upon reading these verses, we must say, Lord, though thy righteousness be as the great mountains, evident, plainly to be seen, and past dispute; yet thy judgments are a great deep, unfathomable, and past finding out. The reforming king is cut off in the midst of his usefulness, in mercy to him, that he might not see the evil coming upon his kingdom: but in wrath to his people, for his death was an inlet to their desolations.

Verses 31-37 After Josiah was laid in his grave, one trouble came on another, till, in twenty-two years, Jerusalem was destroyed. The wicked perished in great numbers, the remnant were purified, and Josiah's reformation had raised up some to join the few who were the precious seed of their future church and nation. A little time, and slender abilities, often suffice to undo the good which pious men have, for a course of years, been labouring to effect. But, blessed be God, the good work which he begins by his regenerating Spirit, cannot be done away, but withstands all changes and temptations.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 23

This chapter treats of Josiah's reading the book of the law, and of him and the people renewing the covenant with God, 2Ki 23:1-3, and of his removing idols and idolatry in every shape, and witchcraft, out of the land, which he did in the sincerity of his heart, 2Ki 23:4-25, yet the wrath of God was still determined upon the land, 2Ki 23:26-28 and Josiah was taken away by an untimely death, 2Ki 23:29,30 and was succeeded by two sons of his, one after another, whose reigns were wicked, 2Ki 23:31-37.