LESSON 53 The Courage of JehoiadaJezebel had a daughter called Athaliah, who was just as wicked as her mother. Athaliah was married to the king of Judah. When her husband died, her son began to rule. But when her son died, Athaliah made herself the ruler of Judah. Then she tried to destroy the entire royal line, murdering anyone who could become ruler instead of her, even her own grandsons. Everyone was afraid of her. High Priest Jehoiada and his wife, Jehosheba, knew that what Athaliah was doing was very bad. They risked their lives to hide one of Athaliah’s grandsons, a baby named Jehoash. They raised him at the temple. When Jehoash was seven years old, Jehoiada gathered all the chieftains and Levites and told them: ‘Guard the doors of the temple, and don’t let anyone in.’ Then Jehoiada made Jehoash the king of Judah and put a crown on his head. The people of Judah shouted: ‘Long live the king!’ Queen Athaliah heard the roar of the crowd and rushed to the temple. When she saw the new king, she cried out: “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!” The chieftains grabbed the wicked queen, took her away, and put her to death. But what about the bad influence she’d had on the nation? Jehoiada helped the nation to make a covenant with Jehovah in which they promised to worship only Him. Jehoiada had them tear down the temple of Baal and smash the idols to pieces. He appointed the priests and Levites to work at the temple so that the people could worship there again. He assigned gatekeepers to guard the temple so that no one unclean could enter. Then Jehoiada and the chieftains took Jehoash to the palace and put him on the throne. The people of Judah rejoiced. They could serve Jehovah, finally free from wicked Athaliah and from Baal worship. Do you see how Jehoiada’s courage helped many people? “Do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”—Matthew 10:28 |
IRUẸMWI 53 Udinmwẹ Ọghe JehoiadaE Jezibẹl ghaa mwẹ ọmọ okhuo ọkpa na tie ẹre Atalaia, nọ wa vbe guẹ emwi dan ne iyẹe guẹ. Atalaia keghi rọnmwẹ ọba ọghe Juda. Vbe ọdafẹn ọnrẹn ghi wu nẹ, ovbi ẹre na suẹn gha kha. Sokpan vbe ovbi ẹre ghi wu, Atalaia keghi ya egbe ẹre khian ọba ọghe Juda. Ọ na gha hoo nọ wabọ uniẹn ọghe ọba nii hia rua, uhiẹn ya sẹ egbe avbe eyẹ ọre, na ghẹ mieke na miẹn ọmwa nọ khian ghi rri ọba. Emwa hia na gha mu ohan okhuo na vbe otọ e Juda. Ogiohẹn ighẹ e Jehoiada kevbe amwẹ ọnrẹn ighẹ e Jehosiba ma rhie obọ ba emwi dan ne Atalaia ru na. Iran keghi mu arrọọ ọghe iran ye ikpadede, iran na mu e Jehoas nọ re eyẹ ọghe Atalaia lẹẹ gha rrie ọgua Osa; evba ẹre ọ na ghi waan. Vbe Jehoas ghi sẹ ukpo ihinrọn nẹ, e Jehoiada keghi si avbe ọkaolotu kevbe Ivbi e Livai koko, ọ na tama iran wẹẹ: ‘Uwa gha bodẹ, ne uwa ghẹ gi ọmwa rhọkpa la ọgua Osa na.’ Ẹre Jehoiada na ghi mu ẹde ye uhunmwu e Jehoas, ọ na ma re ọba ọghe Juda. Ẹre Ivbi e Juda na ghi kha wẹẹ: ‘Ọba gha tọ, ọ kpẹẹ re!’ Vbe Oloi Atalaia ghi họn owogho ọghe emwa, ọ na rhulẹ gha rrie ọgua Osa. Vbe ọ ghi bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ e Juda mwẹ ọba ọgbọn nẹ, ọ na datu wẹẹ: ‘Isọtẹ! Isọtẹ!’ Avbe ọkaolotu nii keghi mu Atalaia kpa, iran na ya gbe ẹre rua. Sokpan vbe a khian ghi ruẹ hẹ nia, ugbẹnvbe ọ kẹ ọre ya si emwa nibun vbe agbẹnvbo nii, la ugamwẹ igẹbọ nẹ? E Jehoiada keghi ru iyobọ ne emwa rẹn, ne iran ya ta ile ma e Jehova wẹẹ, irẹn ọkpa ẹre iran khian ga. E Jehoiada keghi wẹẹ ne emwa guọghọ ọgua ọghe Bel rua. Ọ keghi tama avbe ohẹn kevbe Ivbi e Livai ne iran dọlọ ọgua Osa yi, ne iran mieke na sẹtin werriegbe gha ga e Jehova vba. Ọ keghi viọ avbe ọbodẹ ye onurho ọgua Osa, ne ọmwa nọ ma huan ghẹ mieke na sẹtin laọ. Ẹre Jehoiada kevbe avbe ọkaolotu na ghi rhie Jehoas gha rrie ẹguae, ne ọ ya tota ye ẹkete. Ivbi e Juda na gha ghọghọ. Te iran ghi sẹtin ga e Jehova nia, ugbẹnvbe a miẹn wẹẹ Atalaia ne ọmwa dan kevbe uyinmwẹ igẹbọ i ghi rrọọ. U ma bẹghe vbene udinmwẹ ọghe Jehoiada ya ru iyobọ ne emwa nibun hẹ? “Wa ghẹ mu ohan emwa ni sẹtin gbe ikinnegbe rua, sokpan nẹi sẹtin gbe evbọ rrọọ rua; nọghayayerriọ, wa gha mu ohan ọmwa nọ gha sẹtin gbe ikinnegbe kevbe evbọ rrọọ rua, ọ ghi fi ẹre fi e Gẹhẹnna.”—Matiu 10:28, NW |