Zechariah

15But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.

Jehoiada grew very old, and then he died. He was one hundred and thirty years old.

16And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.

They buried him in the City of David, where the kings were buried. They did this because he had done good in Israel, for God and for God's house.

17Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

After Jehoiada died, the leaders of Judah came to the king. They bowed low to him, and the king listened to them.

18And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

The people stopped going to the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers. They began to worship Asherah poles and idols instead. Because of this wrong, anger came upon Judah and Jerusalem.

19Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

Still the LORD sent prophets to them, people who told others what God said. The prophets told them to come back to the LORD. They warned the people, but the people would not listen.

20And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "God says this: Why do you break the LORD's commands? You will not do well. You have left the LORD, so he has left you."

21And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

But the people made a plan against Zechariah. The king gave the order, and they threw stones at him until he died. This happened in the yard of the LORD's house.

22Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.

King Joash forgot the kindness Jehoiada had shown him. Instead, he killed Jehoiada's son. As Zechariah lay dying, he said, "May the LORD see this and make you answer for it."

34Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

"So listen. I am sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill. Some you will nail to crosses. Some you will whip in your synagogues. You will chase them from town to town."

35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

"So the blood of every good person killed on earth will come on you. It starts with good Abel. It ends with Zacharias, the son of Barachias. You killed him between the temple and the altar."

36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

"I tell you the truth. All these things will happen to the people living now."

49Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

That is why God's wisdom said this. 'I will send them prophets and apostles. They will kill some of them and hurt others.' Apostles were the special messengers Jesus sent out.

50That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

So the people of this time will have to answer for it. They will answer for the blood of every prophet killed since the world began.

51From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

That means from the killing of Abel to the killing of Zechariah. He died between the altar and the temple. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will answer for it.