But Joash replied to the angry crowd around him. He asked,“ Are you going to stand up for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Those who stand up for him will be put to death by morning! Is Baal really a god? If he is, he can stand up for himself when someone tears down his altar.”

约阿施回答站着攻击他的众人说：“你们是为巴力争论吗？你们要救他吗？谁为他争论，趁早将谁治死！巴力若果是神，有人拆毁他的坛，让他为自己争论吧！”

约阿施对站着敌对他的众人说：“你们是为巴力辩护吗？你们要救它吗？谁为它辩护，就在早晨把谁处死吧！巴力如果是上帝，有人拆毁了它的坛，就让它为自己辩护吧！”

约阿施对站着敌对他的众人说：“你们是为巴力辩护吗？你们要救它吗？谁为它辩护，就在早晨把谁处死吧！巴力如果是神，有人拆毁了它的坛，就让它为自己辩护吧！”

约阿施对气势汹汹的人群说：“你们这样做是要为巴力辩护吗？是要救它吗？谁为巴力辩护，今天早晨就处死谁。有人拆毁巴力的祭坛，如果它是神明，就让它为自己辩护吧！”

约阿施对所有站着攻击他的人说：“你们要为巴力辩护吗？或是你们要救他呢？谁为他辩护，到早晨就必死亡。巴力若是神，有人拆毁了他的祭坛，就让他为自己辩护吧。”

約阿施回答站着攻擊他的眾人說：「你們是為巴力爭論嗎？你們要救他嗎？誰為他爭論，趁早將誰治死！巴力若果是神，有人拆毀他的壇，讓他為自己爭論吧！」

約阿施對站着敵對他的眾人說：「你們是為巴力辯護嗎？你們要救它嗎？誰為它辯護，就在早晨把誰處死吧！巴力如果是上帝，有人拆毀了它的壇，就讓它為自己辯護吧！」

約阿施對站着敵對他的眾人說：「你們是為巴力辯護嗎？你們要救它嗎？誰為它辯護，就在早晨把誰處死吧！巴力如果是神，有人拆毀了它的壇，就讓它為自己辯護吧！」

約阿施對氣勢洶洶的人群說：「你們這樣做是要為巴力辯護嗎？是要救它嗎？誰為巴力辯護，今天早晨就處死誰。有人拆毀巴力的祭壇，如果它是神明，就讓它為自己辯護吧！」

約阿施對所有站著攻擊他的人說：“你們要為巴力辯護嗎？或是你們要救他呢？誰為他辯護，到早晨就必死亡。巴力若是神，有人拆毀了他的祭壇，就讓他為自己辯護吧。”

約阿施對站着攻擊他的眾人說：『你們是為巴力辯護麼？還是要救他呢？誰為他辯護，誰就該趁早被處死；巴力如果是神，若有人拆毁他的祭壇，就讓他為自己辯護吧。』

約阿施對敵之者曰、爾欲為巴力爭辯乎、抑援之乎、凡為之爭辯者、今晨必死、如巴力果為神、人毀其壇、任彼自爭可也、

約押對曰、汝欲為巴力訟乎、抑為之援手乎。如人欲為之訟、則其人必見殺於今晨。如巴力為上帝、既傾其壇、則巴力可以自訟。

約阿施對旁立諸人曰、爾欲為巴力爭論乎、抑欲援之乎、凡為之爭論者、未及晨即見殺、如巴力果為神、人既毀其壇、則必為己爭論、

But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him,“ Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”

But Joash said to all who stood against him,“ Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”

But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him,“ Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!”

But Joash said to all who stood against him,“ Would you plead Baal’s case for him? Would you save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead his own case because someone tore down his altar.”

But Joash said to all who stood against him,“ Will you contend for Baal, or will you save him? Whoever will contend for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, since someone has torn down his altar!”

But Joash said to all who stood against him,“ Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!”

And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? he that will contend for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him contend for himself, because one hath broken down his altar.

But Joash said to all who stood against him,“ Would you plead Baal’s case for him? Would you save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead his own case because someone tore down his altar.”

And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst[ it is yet] morning: if he[ be] a god, let him plead for himself, because[ one] hath cast down his altar.

But Joash said to all those who confronted him,“ Must you fight Baal’s battles? Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning! If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.”

Joash said to all who stood against him,“ Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has broken down his altar!”

Then Elijah commanded them,“ Grab the prophets of Baal. Don’t let a single one of them get away!” So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death.

The Lord speaks to the Jews living in Babylon. He says,“ Here is what you must tell the people of the nations. Tell them,‘ Your gods did not make the heavens and the earth. In fact, these gods will disappear from the earth. They will vanish from under the heavens.’ ”

Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don’t produce anything good. Show what they are really like.

The statues of their gods can’t speak. They are like scarecrows in a field of cucumbers. Their statues have to be carried around because they can’t walk. So do not be afraid of their gods. They can’t do you any harm. And they can’t do you any good either.”

But the statues of their gods are made out of silver and gold. They are made by human hands.They have mouths but can’t speak. They have eyes but can’t see.They have ears but can’t hear. They have noses but can’t smell.They have hands but can’t feel. They have feet but can’t walk. They have throats but can’t say anything.

Tell us what will happen in the days ahead. Then we will know that you are gods. Do something. It does not matter whether it is good or bad. Then we will be terrified and filled with fear.

They lift it up on their shoulders and carry it. They set it up in its place, and there it stands. It can’t move from that spot. Someone might cry out to it. But it does not answer. It can’t save them from their troubles.

At noon Elijah began to tease them.“ Shout louder!” he said.“ I’m sure Baal is a god! Perhaps he has too much to think about. Or maybe he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he’s away on a trip. Maybe he’s sleeping. You might have to wake him up.”

The gods named Bel and Nebo are brought down in shame. The statues of them are being carried away on the backs of animals. They used to be carried around by the people who worshiped them. But now they’ve become a heavy load for tired animals.

It was now past noon. The prophets of Baal continued to prophesy with all their might. They did it until the time came to offer the evening sacrifice. But there wasn’t any reply. No one answered. No one paid any attention.

So then, here is what I say about eating food sacrificed to statues of gods. We know that“ a god made by human hands is really nothing at all in the world.” We know that“ there is only one God.”

“ Do not follow the crowd when they do what is wrong. When you are a witness in court, do not turn what is right into what is wrong. Do not go along with the crowd.

Someone living among you might do what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God. It might happen in one of the towns the Lord is giving you. That person is breaking the Lord’ s covenant.The person might have worshiped or bowed down to other gods. That person might have bowed down to the sun or moon or stars in the sky. I have commanded you not to do these things.When you hear that people have done something like that, check the matter out carefully. If it’s true, an evil thing has been done in Israel. The Lord hates that.So take the person who has done that evil thing to your city gate. Put that person to death by throwing stones at them.Two or three witnesses are required to put someone to death. No one can be put to death because of what only one witness says. Two or three witnesses are required.The witnesses must throw the first stones. Then the rest of the people must also throw stones. Get rid of that evil person.

Joshua, the son of Nun, tore his clothes. So did Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. Joshua and Caleb were two of the men who had checked out the land.

That prophet or dreamer must be put to death. He told you not to obey the Lord your God. The Lord brought you out of Egypt. He set you free from the land where you were slaves. He commanded you to live the way he wants you to. But that prophet or dreamer has tried to get you to be unfaithful to the Lord. Get rid of that evil person.Suppose your very own brother or sister secretly tempts you to do something wrong. Or your child or the wife you love tempts you. Or your closest friend does it. Suppose one of them says,“ Let’s go and worship other gods.” But you and your people of long ago hadn’t known anything about those gods before.They are the gods of the nations around you. Those nations might be near or far away. In fact, they might reach from one end of the land to the other.Don’t give in to those who are tempting you. Don’t listen to them. Don’t feel sorry for them. Don’t spare them or save them.You must certainly put them to death. You must be the first to throw stones at them. Then all the people must do the same thing.Put them to death by throwing stones at them. They tried to turn you away from the Lord your God. He brought you out of Egypt. That’s the land where you were slaves.After you kill those who tempted you, all the Israelites will hear about it. And they will be too scared to do an evil thing like that again.The Lord your God is giving you towns to live in. But suppose you hear something bad about one of those towns.You hear that people who cause trouble have appeared among you. They’ve tried to get the people of their town to do something wrong. They’ve said,“ Let’s go and worship other gods.” But you haven’t known anything about those gods before.So you must ask people some questions. You must check out the matter carefully. If it’s true, an evil thing has really happened among you. It’s something the Lord hates.Then you must certainly kill with your swords everyone who lives in that town. You must destroy it completely. You must wipe out its people and livestock.You must gather all the goods of that town into the middle of the main street. You must burn the town completely. You must burn up everything in it. It’s a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. The town must remain a pile of stones forever. It must never be built again.Don’t keep anything that should be destroyed. Then the Lord will turn away from his great anger. He will show you mercy. He’ll have deep concern for you. He’ll cause there to be many of you. That’s what he promised your people of long ago. He gave his word when he made the promise.The Lord your God will do those things if you obey him. I’m giving you his commands today. And you must obey all of them. You must do what is right in his eyes.