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.”

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,“ 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 ordered them,“ Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let even one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there.

You are to say this to them:“ The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under these heavens.”

Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them for they can do no harm— and they cannot do any good.

Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats.

Tell us the coming events, then we will know that you are gods. Indeed, do something good or bad, then we will be in awe when we see it.

They lift it to their shoulder and bear it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands; it does not budge from its place. They cry out to it but it doesn’t answer; it saves no one from his trouble.

At noon Elijah mocked them. He said,“ Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!”

Bel crouches; Nebo cowers. Idols depicting them are consigned to beasts and cattle. The images you carry are loaded, as a burden for the weary animal.

All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.

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

“ You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice.

“ If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that the LORD your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and violating his covenantand has gone to serve other gods by bowing in worship to the sun, moon, or all the stars in the sky— which I have forbidden—and if you are told or hear about it, then investigate it thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done in Israel,you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness.The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you.

Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes

That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.“ If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying,‘ Let’s go and worship other gods’— which neither you nor your ancestors have known,any of the gods of the peoples around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other—do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him.Instead, you must kill him. Your hand is to be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people.Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.All Israel will hear and be afraid, and they will no longer do anything evil like this among you.“ If you hear it said about one of your cities the LORD your God is giving you to live in,that wicked men have sprung up among you, led the inhabitants of their city astray, and said,‘ Let’s go and worship other gods,’ which you have not known,you are to inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done among you,you must strike down the inhabitants of that city with the sword. Completely destroy everyone in it as well as its livestock with the sword.You are to gather all its spoil in the middle of the city square and completely burn the city and all its spoil for the LORD your God. The city is to remain a mound of ruins forever; it is not to be rebuilt.Nothing set apart for destruction is to remain in your hand, so that the LORD will turn from his burning anger and grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as he swore to your ancestors.This will occur if you obey the LORD your God, keeping all his commands I am giving you today, doing what is right in the sight of the LORD your God.