章：1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
23:1 王差遣人招聚犹大和耶路撒冷的众长老来。
And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.
23:2 王和犹大众人与耶路撒冷的居民，并祭司，先知，和所有的百姓，无论大小，都一同上到耶和华的殿。王就把耶和华殿里所得的约书念给他们听。
And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.
23:3 王站在柱旁，在耶和华面前立约，要尽心尽性地顺从耶和华，遵守他的诫命，法度，律例，成就这书上所记的约言。众民都服从这约。
And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
23:4 王吩咐大祭司希勒家和副祭司，并把门的，将那为巴力和亚舍拉，并天上万象所造的器皿，都从耶和华殿里搬出来，在耶路撒冷外汲沦溪旁的田间烧了，把灰拿到伯特利去。
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.
23:5 从前犹大列王所立拜偶像的祭司，在犹大城邑的邱坛和耶路撒冷的周围烧香，现在王都废去，又废去向巴力和日，月，行星（或作十二宫），并天上万象烧香的人。
And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
23:6 又从耶和华殿里将亚舍拉搬到耶路撒冷外汲沦溪边焚烧，打碎成灰，将灰撒在平民的坟上。
And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.
23:7 又拆毁耶和华殿里娈童的屋子，就是妇女为亚舍拉织帐子的屋子，
And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove.
23:8 并且从犹大的城邑带众祭司来，污秽祭司烧香的邱坛，从迦巴直到别是巴，又拆毁城门旁的邱坛，这邱坛在邑宰约书亚门前，进城门的左边。
And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man’s left hand at the gate of the city.
23:9 但是邱坛的祭司不登耶路撒冷耶和华的坛，只在他们弟兄中间吃无酵饼。
Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they did eat of the unleavened bread among their brethren.
23:10 又污秽欣嫩子谷的陀斐特，不许人在那里使儿女经火献给摩洛。
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
23:11 又将犹大列王在耶和华殿门旁，太监拿单米勒靠近游廊的屋子，向日头所献的马废去，且用火焚烧日车。
And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.
23:12 犹大列王在亚哈斯楼顶上所筑的坛和玛拿西在耶和华殿两院中所筑的坛，王都拆毁打碎了，就把灰倒在汲沦溪中。
And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down, and brake them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron.
23:13 从前以色列王所罗门在耶路撒冷前，邪僻山右边为西顿人可憎的神亚斯她录，摩押人可憎的神基抹，亚扪人可憎的神米勒公所筑的邱坛，王都污秽了，
And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
23:14 又打碎柱像，砍下木偶，将人的骨头充满了那地方。
And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
23:15 他将伯特利的坛，就是叫以色列人陷在罪里，尼八的儿子耶罗波安所筑的那坛，都拆毁焚烧，打碎成灰，并焚烧了亚舍拉。
Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.
23:16 约西亚回头，看见山上的坟墓，就打发人将坟墓里的骸骨取出来，烧在坛上，污秽了坛，正如从前神人宣传耶和华的话。
And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
23:17 约西亚问说，我所看见的是什么碑。那城里的人回答说，先前有神人从犹大来，预先说王现在向伯特利坛所行的事，这就是他的墓碑。
Then he said, What title is that that I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel.
23:18 约西亚说，由他吧。不要挪移他的骸骨。他们就不动他的骸骨，也不动从撒马利亚来那先知的骸骨。
And he said, Let him alone; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria.
23:19 从前以色列诸王在撒马利亚的城邑建筑邱坛的殿，惹动耶和华的怒气，现在约西亚都废去了，就如他在伯特利所行的一般。
And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.
23:20 又将邱坛的祭司都杀在坛上，并在坛上烧人的骨头，就回耶路撒冷去了。
And he slew all the priests of the high places that were there upon the altars, and burned men’s bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.
23:21 王吩咐众民说，你们当照这约书上所写的，向耶和华你们的神守逾越节。
And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
23:22 自从士师治理以色列人和以色列王，犹大王的时候，直到如今，实在没有守过这样的逾越节。
Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah;
23:23 只有约西亚王十八年在耶路撒冷向耶和华守这逾越节。
But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem.
23:24 凡犹大国和耶路撒冷所有交鬼的，行巫术的，与家中的神像和偶像，并一切可憎之物，约西亚尽都除掉，成就了祭司希勒家在耶和华殿里所得律法书上所写的话。
Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.
23:25 在约西亚以前没有王像他尽心，尽性，尽力地归向耶和华，遵行摩西的一切律法。在他以后也没有兴起一个王像他。
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
23:26 然而，耶和华向犹大所发猛烈的怒气仍不止息，是因玛拿西诸事惹动他。
Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.
23:27 耶和华说，我必将犹大人从我面前赶出，如同赶出以色列人一般。我必弃掉我从前所选择的这城耶路撒冷和我所说立我名的殿。
And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.
23:28 约西亚其馀的事，凡他所行的都写在犹大列王记上。
Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
23:29 约西亚年间，埃及王法老尼哥上到幼发拉底河攻击亚述王。约西亚王去抵挡他。埃及王遇见约西亚在米吉多，就杀了他。
In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: and king Josiah went against him; and he slew him at Megiddo, when he had seen him.
23:30 他的臣仆用车将他的尸首从米吉多送到耶路撒冷，葬在他自己的坟墓里。国民膏约西亚的儿子约哈斯接续他父亲作王。
And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own sepulchre. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s stead.
23:31 约哈斯登基的时候年二十三岁，在耶路撒冷作王三个月。他母亲名叫哈慕她，是立拿人耶利米的女儿。
Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign; and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.
23:32 约哈斯行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，效法他列祖一切所行的。
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
23:33 法老尼哥将约哈斯锁禁在哈马地的利比拉，不许他在耶路撒冷作王，又罚犹大国银子一百他连得，金子一他连得。
And Pharaohnechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem; and put the land to a tribute of an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of gold.
23:34 法老尼哥立约西亚的儿子以利亚敬接续他父亲约西亚作王，给他改名叫约雅敬，却将约哈斯带到埃及，他就死在那里。
And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away: and he came to Egypt, and died there.
23:35 约雅敬将金银给法老，遵着法老的命向国民徵取金银，按着各人的力量派定，索要金银，好给法老尼哥。
And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh; but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh: he exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, of every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaohnechoh.
23:36 约雅敬登基的时候年二十五岁，在耶路撒冷作王十一年。他母亲名叫西布大，是鲁玛人毗大雅的女儿。
Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.
23:37 约雅敬行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，效法他列祖一切所行的。
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
列王记下23参考
23:1-2 关于圣殿的重要性及其中日常运作的详情、敬拜和礼仪等，请参看王上5-8，代下2-7。
甚么样的顺服行动才和痛悔的心相称？
23:4-8 约西亚一看到犹大人宗教生活的败坏就加以纠正。单单说甚么是对的并不足够，我们必须用行动作回应来表明信心。这正是雅各在他的书信之中所强调的，“没有行为的信心是死的”（雅2:20）。这是指在家庭、学校、工作岗位和教会之中，都要表现出与不信者有明显差异的行为。单单讲顺服神并不足够。
耶和华的殿里竟有偶像，怎么回事？
23:6 可憎的亚舍拉柱像是恶王玛拿西立在耶和华殿中的（21:7）。居民常将它看作海上女神，又是巴力的妻子。它是迦南人的主要女神，敬拜它的人以性与战争为夸耀，并且有娈童，就是男妓，供敬拜之人行污秽的事。
23:11 这些马是供游行之用，表示尊敬太阳。
橄榄山在以色列的历史中有何特别之处？
23:13 这节经文称橄榄山为邪僻山，因为古人喜欢在那山上建筑异教的庙宇。所罗门建造了一座异教的庙宇，其他君王也在那里建造拜偶像之处。但敬畏神的君王，像希西家与约西亚等人，则将这些异教敬拜中心拆毁。在新约时代，主耶稣常坐在橄榄山上教导门徒单单要事奉独一的神（参太24:3）。（关于亚斯她录、基抹与摩洛的详情，请参王上11:5-8的注释。）
23:16-18 这段经文所提到的预言，记载在列王纪上13章20至32节。
神要人守节的目的是甚么？怎样在今日也守神的吩咐呢？
23:21-23 约西亚从约书之中看到神吩咐人民守逾越节，就下令全国要完全照律法书的规定守这节期。这个节日，是以色列人一年一度的假日，以纪念全族蒙神拯救、脱离在埃及受奴役的日子（参出12）；但是他们已经多年没有守这节期了，其结果是，“自从士师治理以色列人和以色列王、犹大王的时候，直到如今，实在没有守过这样的逾越节。”人有普遍的错误观念，以为神反对人庆祝节期，不要人享受欢喜快活。实际上，神赐下丰盛的生命（参约10:10），凡爱他的人皆充满喜乐，有数说不尽的恩典。
约西亚尽心、尽性、尽力归向神，我──在，哪些方面仍需努力？
23:25 以色列人纪念约西亚，因他是犹大国最顺服神的君王。他的顺服方式是：（1）认识罪的可怕；（2）清除了带罪的习俗；（3）消除犯罪的肇因。这些对付罪的方式，在现代也是有效的。我们不但要除去罪行，也要除去罪的源头──就是一切可能带来试探的情势、关系、工作、行为和生活方式。
要像两位王那样依靠、顺服神，太难？不太难？
23:25 约西亚与希西家（18:5）都因为敬畏神而受称赞。圣经说希西家对神有最大的倚靠（表明信心），约西亚则极力遵行神的律法（表明顺服）。我们可以效法他们的榜样，信靠神并有顺服他的行为。
约西亚壮志未酬身先死……
23:29 埃及王法老尼哥取道犹大，前往救援被攻的亚述（“攻击”依原文亦可译为“帮助”）。他们二国联盟，要与巴比伦争战，因巴比伦有成为超级强国的趋势，将来会成为他们的威胁。约西亚想到这联军与巴比伦争战以后可能再攻击他，所以想阻止埃及军队经他国境前往亚述。不幸，他本人被杀，军队被打败，犹大国变成埃及的附庸（公元前609年）。历代志下35章20至25节有更详细的记载。
皮之不存，毛将焉附？国既破，王又如何……
23:31-34 犹大人立约西亚的一个儿子约哈斯接续王位。但埃及王法老尼哥不满意，把约哈斯带到埃及，他也死在那里。尼哥又立约西亚的另一个儿子以利亚敬作犹大王，为他改名为约雅敬，约雅敬差不多也是傀儡君王。埃及在公元前605年被巴比伦打败，于是犹大又变成巴比伦的附庸（24:1）。
两个儿子与约西亚成为鲜明对比，身为父母的有何感受？
23:37 许多贤明君王的儿女并不能自然而然地信靠神。也许由于父辈忽略了这件事，或全身心投入于政治军事上的事务，或由于君王多委派别人教自己的儿女，不亲自在信仰上进行教导。无怪乎许多儿女长大后，违背了父辈信仰的正道。父母的信心坚强，并不保证儿女会承受他们的信仰。所以父母必须亲自教导他们信靠神，不可叫别人去代劳。你必须把你所讲之道付诸实行、解释并教导儿女。
昏君的下场可以让世人明白──
23:36-37 约西亚顺服神，但儿子约雅敬则是个昏君。他杀死先知乌利亚（参耶26:20-23），他不诚实、贪婪、欺压人民（参耶22:13-19）、背叛巴比伦转向埃及效忠，这些都是严重的错误。巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒粉碎了他的叛变，把他带到巴比伦（参代下36:6），后来容许他回耶路撒冷，最后死在那里，死因不详。