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.”

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 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.”

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.

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!”

Elijah told them,“ Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let even one of them escape!” So they seized them, and Elijah led them down to the Kishon Valley and executed them there.

You people of Israel should tell those nations this:‘ These gods did not make heaven and earth. They will disappear from the earth and from under the heavens.’

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field. They cannot talk. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them because they cannot hurt you. And they do not have any power to help you.”

Their idols are made of silver and gold– they are man-made.They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see,ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell,hands, but cannot touch, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats.

Predict how future events will turn out, so we might know you are gods. Yes, do something good or bad, so we might be frightened and in awe.

They put it on their shoulder and carry it; they put it in its place and it just stands there; it does not move from its place. Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply; it does not deliver him from his distress.

At noon Elijah mocked them,“ Yell louder! After all, he is a god; he may be deep in thought, or perhaps he stepped out for a moment or has taken a trip. Perhaps he is sleeping and needs to be awakened.”

Bel kneels down, Nebo bends low. Their images weigh down animals and beasts. Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals.

Throughout the afternoon they were in an ecstatic frenzy, but there was no sound, no answer, and no response.

With regard then to eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that“ an idol in this world is nothing,” and that“ there is no God but one.”

“ You must not follow a crowd in doing evil things; in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice,

Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you– in one of your villages that the LORD your God is giving you– who sins before the Lord your God and breaks his covenantby serving other gods and worshiping them– the sun, moon, or any other heavenly bodies which I have not permitted you to worship.When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done in Israel,you must bring to your city gates that man or woman who has done this wicked thing– that very man or woman– and you must stone that person to death.At the testimony of two or three witnesses they must be executed. They cannot be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.The witnesses must be first to begin the execution, and then all the people are to join in afterward. In this way you will purge evil from among you.

And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, two of those who had investigated the land, tore their garments.

As for that prophet or dreamer, he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge out evil from within.Suppose your own full brother, your son, your daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend should seduce you secretly and encourage you to go and serve other gods that neither you nor your ancestors have previously known,the gods of the surrounding people( whether near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other).You must not give in to him or even listen to him; do not feel sympathy for him or spare him or cover up for him.Instead, you must kill him without fail! Your own hand must be the first to strike him, and then the hands of the whole community.You must stone him to death because he tried to entice you away from the LORD your God, who delivered you from the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.Thus all Israel will hear and be afraid; no longer will they continue to do evil like this among you.Suppose you should hear in one of your cities, which the LORD your God is giving you as a place to live, thatsome evil people have departed from among you to entice the inhabitants of their cities, saying,“ Let’s go and serve other gods”( whom you have not known before).You must investigate thoroughly and inquire carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done among you,you must by all means slaughter the inhabitants of that city with the sword; annihilate with the sword everyone in it, as well as the livestock.You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It will be an abandoned ruin forever– it must never be rebuilt again.You must not take for yourself anything that has been placed under judgment. Then the LORD will relent from his intense anger, show you compassion, have mercy on you, and multiply you as he promised your ancestors.Thus you must obey the LORD your God, keeping all his commandments that I am giving you today and doing what is right before him.