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1 亞哈有七十個兒子在撒馬利亞。耶戶寫信送到撒馬利亞,通知耶斯列的首領,就是長老和教養亞哈眾子的人,說:
There were seventy descendants of King Ahab who were living there in Samaria. Jehu wrote a letter [and made copies of it] and sent them to the rulers of the city, to the elders, and to those who raised and tutored Ahab’s children.
2 「你們那裏既有你們主人的眾子和車馬、器械、堅固城,
[This is what he wrote]: “You are the ones who are [taking care of] the king’s descendants. You have chariots and horses and weapons, and you live in cities that have walls around them. So as soon as you receive this letter,
3 接了這信,就可以在你們主人的眾子中選擇一個賢能合宜的,使他坐他父親的位,你們也可以為你們主人的家爭戰。」
choose one of the king’s sons, the one who is the best qualified, and appoint him to be your king. Then [prepare to] fight to defend him.”
4 他們卻甚懼怕,彼此說:「二王在他面前尚且站立不住,我們怎能站得住呢?」
But [when they got those letters from Jehu and read them], they became very afraid. They said, “King Joram and King Ahaziah could not resist him; (how can we resist him?/we cannot possibly resist him!)” [RHQ]
5 家宰、邑宰,和長老,並教養眾子的人,打發人去見耶戶,說:「我們是你的僕人,凡你所吩咐我們的都必遵行,我們不立誰作王,你看怎樣好就怎樣行。」
So the officer who was in charge of the palace and the mayor of the city sent a message to Jehu saying, “We want to serve you, and we are ready to do whatever you tell us to do. We will not appoint anyone to become our king. You do whatever you think is best.”
6 耶戶又給他們寫信說:「你們若歸順我,聽從我的話,明日這時候,要將你們主人眾子的首級帶到耶斯列來見我。」那時王的兒子七十人都住在教養他們那城中的尊貴人家裏。
So Jehu sent a second letter to them, writing this: “If you (are on my side/want to help me), and if you are ready to obey me, [kill] King Ahab’s descendants [and cut off their heads and] bring their heads to me here in Jezreel at this time tomorrow.” The seventy descendants of King Ahab were being brought up and supervised by the leaders of [Samaria] city.
7 信一到,他們就把王的七十個兒子殺了,將首級裝在筐裏,送到在耶斯列的耶戶那裏。
When they received the letter from Jehu, they killed all seventy of Ahab’s descendants and [cut off their heads]. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu at Jezreel.
8 有使者來告訴耶戶說:「他們將王眾子的首級送來了。」耶戶說:「將首級在城門口堆作兩堆,擱到明日。」
A messenger came to Jehu and told him, “They have brought the heads of Ahab’s descendants.” So Jehu commanded that the heads should be put in two piles at the city gate and that the heads should stay there until the next morning.
9 次日早晨,耶戶出來,站着對眾民說:「你們都是公義的,我背叛我主人,將他殺了;這些人卻是誰殺的呢?
The next morning he went out [to the city gate] and said to all the people, “I am the one who plotted against King Joram and killed him. You are not guilty of doing that. But [it was Yahweh, not I] [RHQ] who [commanded that] all these [descendants of Ahab should be] killed.
10 由此可知,耶和華指着亞哈家所說的話一句沒有落空,因為耶和華藉他僕人以利亞所說的話都成就了。」
So you need to know that everything that Yahweh said would happen has happened. He has caused to happen what he told the prophet Elijah would happen.”
11 凡亞哈家在耶斯列所剩下的人和他的大臣、密友、祭司,耶戶盡都殺了,沒有留下一個。
Then Jehu executed all the other relatives of Ahab in Jezreel, and all Ahab’s officers, and close friends, and his priests. He did not allow any of them to remain alive.
12 耶戶起身往撒馬利亞去。在路上、牧人剪羊毛之處,
Then Jehu left [Jezreel] and went toward Samaria. While he was going there, at a place called ‘Shepherds’ Camp’,
13 遇見猶大王亞哈謝的弟兄,問他們說:「你們是誰?」回答說:「我們是亞哈謝的弟兄,現在下去要問王和太后的眾子安。」
he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah. He asked them, “Who are you?” They replied, “We are relatives of King Ahaziah. We are going to Jezreel to visit the children of Queen Jezebel and the other members of King [Joram’s] family.”
14 耶戶吩咐說:「活捉他們!」跟從的人就活捉了他們,將他們殺在剪羊毛之處的坑邊,共四十二人,沒有留下一個。
Jehu said to his men, “Seize them!” So they seized them and killed all of them at the pit named Beth-Eked. There were 42 people whom they killed; they did not allow any of them to remain alive.
15 耶戶從那裏前行,恰遇利甲的兒子約拿達來迎接他,耶戶問他安,對他說:「你誠心待我像我誠心待你嗎?」約拿達回答說:「是。」耶戶說:「若是這樣,你向我伸手」,他就伸手;耶戶拉他上車。
Then Jehu [continued to travel toward Samaria]. Along the road, he was met by Jonadab, a leader of the Rechab clan. Jehu greeted him and said to him, “Are you as devoted to me [IDM] as I am devoted to you?” Jonadab replied, “Yes, I am.” Jehu said, “If you are, shake hands with me.” So Jonadab shook hands with him, and Jehu helped him to get into his chariot.
16 耶戶說:「你和我同去,看我為耶和華怎樣熱心」;於是請他坐在車上,
Jehu said to him, “Come with me, and you will see that I am very devoted to Yahweh.” So they rode together to Samaria.
17 到了撒馬利亞,就把撒馬利亞的亞哈家剩下的人都殺了,直到滅盡,正如耶和華對以利亞所說的。
When they arrived in Samaria, Jehu killed all of Ahab’s relatives who were still alive. He did not (spare any of them/allow any of them to remain alive). That was what Yahweh told Elijah would happen.
18 耶戶招聚眾民,對他們說:「亞哈事奉巴力還冷淡,耶戶卻更熱心。
Then Jehu summoned all the people [of Samaria], and said to them, “King Ahab was devoted to [your god] Baal a little bit, but I will serve him much more.
19 現在我要給巴力獻大祭。應當叫巴力的眾先知和一切拜巴力的人,並巴力的眾祭司,都到我這裏來,不可缺少一個;凡不來的必不得活。」耶戶這樣行,是用詭計要殺盡拜巴力的人。
So now summon all the prophets of Baal, all of Baal’s priests, and all the others who worship Baal. I am going to make a great sacrifice to Baal. I want all of them to be there. Any of them who is not there will be executed.” But Jehu was planning to trick them; he was planning to kill all those who worshiped Baal.
20 耶戶說:「要為巴力宣告嚴肅會!」於是宣告了。
Then Jehu commanded, “Announce that we are going to set aside a day to honor Baal.” So they did that.
21 耶戶差人走遍以色列地;凡拜巴力的人都來齊了,沒有一個不來的。他們進了巴力廟,巴力廟中從前邊直到後邊都滿了人。
Jehu [decided what day they would gather and] sent messages throughout Israel [telling everyone what day to gather on], and on that day, everyone who worshiped Baal came. No one stayed at home. They all went into the huge temple of Baal and filled it from one end to the other.
22 耶戶吩咐掌管禮服的人說:「拿出禮服來,給一切拜巴力的人穿。」他就拿出禮服來給了他們。
Jehu told the priest who took care of the sacred robes to bring them out and give them to the people who worshiped Baal. So the priest did that.
23 耶戶和利甲的兒子約拿達進了巴力廟,對拜巴力的人說:「你們察看察看,在你們這裏不可有耶和華的僕人,只可容留拜巴力的人。」
Then Jehu went into the temple of Baal with Jonadab, and he said to the people who were there to worship Baal, “Be sure that only those who worship Baal are here. Be sure that no one who worships Yahweh has come in.”
24 耶戶和約拿達進去,獻平安祭和燔祭。 耶戶先安派八十人在廟外,吩咐說:「我將這些人交在你們手中,若有一人脫逃,誰放的必叫他償命!」
Then he and Jonadab prepared to offer sacrifices and other offerings to Baal that would be completely burned [on the altar that was there in Samaria]. But Jehu had stationed eighty of his men outside the temple, and had said to them, “I want you to kill all the people [who are in the temple]. Anyone who allows one of them to escape will be executed!”
25 耶戶獻完了燔祭,就出來吩咐護衛兵和眾軍長說:「你們進去殺他們,不容一人出來!」護衛兵和軍長就用刀殺他們,將屍首拋出去,便到巴力廟的城去了,
As soon as Jehu [and Jonadab] had finished killing the animals that would be completely burned to be an offering to Baal, they [went outside and] said to the guards and officers, “Go in and kill all of them! Do not allow any of them to escape!” So the guards and officers went in and killed them all with their swords. Then they dragged their corpses outside the temple. Then they went into the inner room of the temple,
and they carried out the sacred pillar of Baal that was there, and they burned it.
27 毀壞了巴力柱像,拆毀了巴力廟作為廁所,直到今日。
So they destroyed that pillar that honored Baal, and then they burned down the temple, and made it a public toilet. And it is still a toilet!
That is how Jehu got rid of the worship of Baal in Israel.
29 只是耶戶不離開尼八的兒子耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裏的那罪,就是拜伯特利和但的金牛犢。
But Jehu did not quit committing the kinds of sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that led the people of Israel to sin by worshiping the gold [statues of] calves in Bethel and Dan [cities].
30 耶和華對耶戶說:「因你辦好我眼中看為正的事,照我的心意待亞哈家,你的子孫必接續你坐以色列的國位,直到四代。」
Then Yahweh said to Jehu, “You have done what pleased me by getting rid of all of Ahab’s descendants. So I promise you that your son and grandson and great-grandson and great-great-grandson will all be kings of Israel.”
31 只是耶戶不盡心遵守耶和華-以色列上帝的律法,不離開耶羅波安使以色列人陷在罪裏的那罪。
But Jehu did not obey all the laws of Yahweh, the God of the Israeli people. He did not stop committing the sins that Jeroboam had committed, sins that led the Israeli people to sin.
32 在那些日子,耶和華才割裂以色列國,使哈薛攻擊以色列的境界,
At that time, Yahweh began to cause the territory controlled by Israel to become smaller. [The army of] King Hazael [of Syria] conquered much of the Israeli territory.
33 乃是約旦河東、基列全地,從靠近亞嫩谷邊的亞羅珥起,就是基列和巴珊的迦得人、呂便人、瑪拿西人之地。
He conquered the parts east of the Jordan [River], as far south as Aroer [town] on the Arnon [River]. That included [the] Gilead and Bashan [regions], where the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh lived.
34 耶戶其餘的事,凡他所行的和他的勇力都寫在以色列諸王記上。
[If you want to read more] about all the other things that Jehu did [RHQ], they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.
35 耶戶與他列祖同睡,葬在撒馬利亞;他兒子約哈斯接續他作王。
Jehu died [EUP], and was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became the king in place of his father.
Jehu had ruled in Samaria as the king of Israel for twenty-eight years.