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。
After this, the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
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。」
Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that 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。
Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
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]
Judah gathered themselves together to seek help from the LORD. They came out of all the cities of Judah to seek 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，
Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the LORD’s house, before the new court;
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 he said, “LORD, the God of our fathers, aren’t you God in heaven? Aren’t you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one is able to withstand 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﹖
Didn’t you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the offspring of Abraham your friend forever?
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：
They lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, 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, judgement, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this house, and before you (for your name is in this house), and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’
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。
Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned away from them, and didn’t destroy 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。
behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.
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。」
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don’t know 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]
All Judah stood 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 the LORD’s Spirit came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly;
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, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat. The LORD says to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle 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。
Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
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。」
You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid, nor be dismayed. 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。
Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
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]
The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly 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。」
They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”
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! 」
When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and give praise in holy array as they go out before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his loving kindness endures forever.”
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。
When they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushers against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck.
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。
For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. When they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy each other.
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。
When Judah came to the place overlooking the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped.
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。
When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found amongst them in abundance both riches and dead bodies with precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. They took plunder for three days, it 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 assembled themselves in Beracah Valley, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore the name of that place was called “Beracah Valley” 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 they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
28 都彈著琴，鼓著瑟，吹著號，來到耶路撒冷，進了上主的殿。
They came to Jerusalem with stringed instruments, harps, and shofars to the LORD’s house.
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。
The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of 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 realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
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。
So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. He reigned 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 walked in the way of Asa his father, and didn’t turn away from it, doing that which was right in the LORD’s eyes.
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。
However the high places were not taken away, and the people had still not set their hearts on 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 the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is included 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 joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. The same did very wickedly.
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。
He joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. They made the ships 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 Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” The ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
