歷代志下 20
1 [聯軍進襲猶大]此後，摩阿布人、阿孟人，還有一些瑪紅人前來供打約沙法特。
Now after this, the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Meunim, made war against Jehoshaphat.
2 有人來告訴約沙法特說：「由海那邊，由厄東有一支大軍前來攻擊你；他們現已到達哈匝宗塔瑪爾，即恩革狄。」
And they came to Jehoshaphat with the news, saying, A great army is moving against you from Edom across the sea; and now they are in Hazazon-tamar (which is En-gedi).
3 約沙法特害了怕，一面懇求上主，一面宣佈全猶大禁食。
Then Jehoshaphat, in his fear, went to the Lord for directions, and gave orders all through Judah for the people to go without food.
4 猶大人遂集會，求上主援助；猶大各城的人也前來祈求上主。[約沙法特的禱詞]
And Judah came together to make prayer for help from the Lord; from every town of Judah they came to give worship to the Lord.
5 約沙法特在猶大和耶路撒冷的會眾中，站在上主殿宇的新院前，
And Jehoshaphat took his place in the meeting of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord in front of the new open space,
6 說「上主，我們祖先的天主! 你不是天上的天主嗎﹖你不是治理萬國萬民的麼﹖你手中有能力和權威，沒有誰能抵抗你。
And said, O Lord, the God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? are you not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in your hands are power and strength so that no one is able to keep his place against you.
7 我們的天主! 不是你將這地方的居民，在你百姓以色列面前趕走，將這地方永遠賜給了你友人亞巴郎的後代嗎﹖
Did you not, O Lord our God, after driving out the people of this land before your people Israel, give it to the seed of Abraham, your friend, for ever?
8 他們現在住在這地方，並在這地方為你的名建造了聖殿說：
And they made it their living-place, building there a holy house for your name, and saying,
9 如果我們遭遇了禍患，刀兵災害，或瘟疫饑饉，我們站在這殿前和你面前，在災難中向你呼籲，你必予以垂聽，施行拯救，因為你的名在這殿內。
If evil comes on us, the sword, or punishment, or disease, or need of food, we will come to this house and to you, (for your name is in this house, ) crying to you in our trouble, and you will give us salvation in answer to our cry.
10 現在你看，阿孟人、摩阿布人以及色依爾山中的人，這些人是以色列出離埃及時，你曾禁止以色列侵犯，以色列便繞道遠離，未加消滅的人。
And now, see, the children of Ammon and Moab and the people of Mount Seir, whom you kept Israel from attacking when they came out of Egypt, so that turning to one side they did not send destruction on them:
11 你看他們如何報復我們要來驅逐我們離開你賜予我們為基業的地方。
See now, how as our reward they have come to send us out of your land which you have given us as our heritage.
12 我們的天主，你不懲罰他們麼﹖我們實在沒有力量抵抗來攻擊我們的這支龐大的軍隊，我們也不知道該作什麼，我們的眼睛惟有仰望你。」
O our God, will you not be their judge? for our strength is not equal to this great army which is coming against us; and we are at a loss what to do: but our eyes are on you.
13 當時全猶大民眾，連他們全家妻子兒女，都立在上主面前。[先知預報勝利]
And all Judah were waiting before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 上主的神在會眾中臨於肋未人阿撒夫的後裔，瑪塔尼雅的玄孫，耶依耳的曾孫，貝納雅的孫子，則加黎雅的兒子雅哈齊耳身上，
Then, before all the meeting, the spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and one of the family of Asaph;
15 他遂說：「全猶大人耶路撒冷的居民以及約沙法特王，都要靜聽! 上主這樣對你們說：你們不要為這支龐大軍隊害怕，因為戰爭不在乎你們，而在乎天主。
And he said, Give ear, O Judah, and you people of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat: the Lord says to you, Have no fear and do not be troubled on account of this great army; for the fight is not yours but God's.
16 明天你們要下去迎敵，他們要由漆茲山坡上來，你們要在耶魯耳曠野前的谷口遇到他們。
Go down against them tomorrow: see, they are coming up by the slope of Ziz; at the end of the valley, before the waste land of Jeruel, you will come face to face with them.
17 這次你們無須交戰，只須佈陣以待，觀看上主為你們所行的救援。猶大和耶路撒冷，不必畏懼，不必害怕! 明天你們只管出去迎敵，因為上主與你們同在。」
There will be no need for you to take up arms in this fight; put yourselves in position, and keep where you are, and you will see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: have no fear and do not be troubled: go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you.
18 約沙法特遂俯首至地，猶大民眾和耶路撒冷居民也都俯伏在上主面前，朝拜上主。
Then Jehoshaphat went down with his face to the earth, and all Judah and the people of Jerusalem gave worship to the Lord, falling down before him.
19 刻哈特子孫和科辣黑子孫中的肋未人起立，引吭高歌，讚頌上主以色列的天主。[凱旋歸來]
And the Levites, the children of the Kohathites and the Korahites, got to their feet and gave praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, with a loud voice.
20 次日，他們一早就起來，開往特科亞曠野；在出發時，約沙法特立起來說：「猶大和耶路撒冷的居民，請聽我的話! 你們信賴上主你們的天主，必保生命；相信他的先知，必定勝利。」
And early in the morning they got up and went out to the waste land of Tekoa: and when they were going out, Jehoshaphat took his station and said to them, Give ear to me, O Judah and you people of Jerusalem: have faith in the Lord your God and you will be safe; have faith in his prophets and all will go well for you.
21 他與百姓商定之後，便派歌詠人員讚頌上主，身穿聖潔服裝，走在軍隊面前，歌頌說：「你們應讚頌上主，因為他的慈愛永遠常存! 」
And after discussion with the people, he put in their places those who were to make melody to the Lord, praising him in holy robes, while they went at the head of the army, and saying, May the Lord be praised, for his mercy is unchanging for ever.
22 他們正歌詠讚美時，上主派出伏兵，襲擊了那些來攻擊猶大的阿孟人、摩阿布人和色依爾山地的居民；他們便被擊敗了。
And at the first notes of song and praise the Lord sent a surprise attack against the children of Ammon and Moab and the people of Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were overcome.
23 阿孟人和摩阿布人起來攻擊色依爾山地的居民，決心將他們殺盡滅絕；殲滅了色依爾山地居民以後，他們又自相殘殺。
And the children of Ammon and Moab made an attack on the people of Mount Seir with a view to their complete destruction; and when they had put an end to the people of Seir, everyman's hand was turned against his neighbour for his destruction.
24 猶大人到了俯瞰曠野的高崗上，觀望大軍，見伏屍遍野，沒有一個逃脫的。
And Judah came to the watchtower of the waste land, and looking in the direction of the army, they saw only dead bodies stretched on the earth; no living man was to be seen.
25 約沙法特遂帶他的軍民去掠奪敵人的財物，見有大批的牲畜、財物、衣服和寶物；足足掠取了三天，奪得的財物多得不能攜帶，因為實在太多。
And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their goods from them, they saw beasts in great numbers, and wealth and clothing and things of value, more than they were able to take away; all this they took for themselves, and they were three days getting it away, there was so much.
26 第四天，他們聚集在巴辣加谷，在那裏讚頌了上主，為此給那地起名叫巴辣加谷，直到今天。
On the fourth day they all came together in the Valley of Blessing, and there they gave blessing to the Lord; for which cause that place has been named the Valley of Blessing to this day.
27 此後，猶大和耶路撒冷所有的軍民，由約沙法特率領，凱旋回了耶路撒冷，因為上主使他們戰勝仇敵，因而異常歡樂，
Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem went back, with Jehoshaphat at their head, coming back to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord had made them glad over their haters.
28 都彈著琴，鼓著瑟，吹著號，來到耶路撒冷，進了上主的殿。
So they came to Jerusalem with corded instruments and wind-instruments into the house of the Lord.
29 列國的民族一聽說上主擊敗了以色列的敵人，都對天主起了恐怖的心。
And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the lands, when they had news of how the Lord made war on those who came against Israel.
30 約沙法特的王國於是獲享太平，因為上主賜給他四境平安。[對約沙法特的短評]
So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for the Lord gave him rest on every side.
31 約沙法特為猶大王，即位時年三十五歲，在耶路撒冷為王凡二十五年；他的母親名叫阿組巴，是史肋希的女兒。
And Jehoshaphat was king over Judah: he was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he was ruling for twenty-five years in Jerusalem: his mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
32 約沙法特走了他父親阿撒的道路，未偏左右，行了上主視為正義的事；
He went in the ways of his father Asa, not turning away, but doing right in the eyes of the Lord.
33 只是丘壇沒有剷除，人民仍沒有全心全意歸向他們祖先的天主。
The high places, however, were not taken away, and the hearts of the people were still not true to the God of their fathers.
34 約沙法特前後其餘的事蹟，都記載在哈納尼之子耶胡的言行錄上這言行錄收集在以色列列王實錄內。[船遭破毀]
Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, they are recorded in the words of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which were put in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 此後，猶大王約沙法特與作惡多端的以色列王阿哈齊雅聯盟，
After this Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, became friends with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who did much evil:
36 合夥製造船隻，開往塔爾史士去；他們合力在厄茲雍革貝爾製造了一些船。
Together they made ships to go to Tarshish, building them in Ezion-geber.
37 瑪勒沙人多達瓦的兒子厄里厄則爾講預言攻擊約沙法特說：「因為你與阿哈齊雅聯盟，上主必要破壞你所造的船隻。」後來那些船隻果然遭受破壞，未能開往塔爾史士。
Then the word of Eliezer the prophet, the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, came against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have let yourself be joined with Ahaziah, the Lord has sent destruction on your works. And the ships were broken and were not able to go to Tarshish.
