< 历代志下 18 >
Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab [of Israel].
2 过了几年,他下到撒马利亚去见亚哈;亚哈为他和跟从他的人宰了许多牛羊,劝他与自己同去攻取基列的拉末。
Several years later, he went down [from Jerusalem] to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle [for a feast].
3 以色列王亚哈问犹大王约沙法说:“你肯同我去攻取基列的拉末吗?”他回答说:“你我不分彼此,我的民与你的民一样,必与你同去争战。”
Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you [and your army] go with my army to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I will go to the battle when you tell us to go.”
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
5 于是以色列王招聚先知四百人,问他们说:“我们上去攻取基列的拉末可以不可以?”他们说:“可以上去,因为 神必将那城交在王的手里。”
So the king of Israel gathered all his 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we go to attack the people of Ramoth [city], or should we not do that?” They replied, “Yes, go [and attack them] because God will enable your army to defeat them.”
6 约沙法说:“这里不是还有耶和华的先知,我们可以求问他吗?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
7 以色列王对约沙法说:“还有一个人,是音拉的儿子米该雅。我们可以托他求问耶和华,只是我恨他;因为他指着我所说的预言,不说吉语,常说凶言。”约沙法说:“王不必这样说。”
The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, his name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts [that] bad [things will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
8 以色列王就召了一个太监来,说:“你快去将音拉的儿子米该雅召来。”
So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.
9 以色列王和犹大王约沙法在撒马利亚城门前的空场上,各穿朝服坐在位上,所有的先知都在他们面前说预言。
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on their thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of [Ahab’s] prophets were standing in front of them, predicting what was going to happen.
10 基拿拿的儿子西底家造了两个铁角,说:“耶和华如此说:‘你要用这角抵触亚兰人,直到将他们灭尽。’”
[One of them whose name was] Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns [like these], your [army] will keep attacking the army of Syria [like a bull attacks another animal], until you completely destroy them.’”
11 所有的先知也都这样预言说:“可以上基列的拉末去,必然得胜,因为耶和华必将那城交在王的手中。”
All the other prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”
12 那去召米该雅的使者对米该雅说:“众先知一口同音地都向王说吉言,你不如与他们说一样的话,也说吉言。”
The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are unitedly predicting that the king will be successful [in the battle]. So be sure to agree with them and say that the king’s army will be successful!”
13 米该雅说:“我指着永生的耶和华起誓,我的 神说什么,我就说什么。”
But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
14 米该雅到王面前,王问他说:“米该雅啊,我们上去攻取基列的拉末可以不可以?”他说:“可以上去,必然得胜,敌人必交在你们手里。”
When Micaiah arrived, the king [of Israel] asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
15 王对他说:“我当嘱咐你几次,你才奉耶和华的名向我说实话呢?”
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was lying, so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
16 米该雅说:“我看见以色列众民散在山上,如同没有牧人的羊群一般。耶和华说:‘这民没有主人,他们可以平平安安地各归各家去。’”
Then Micaiah replied, “[The truth is that in a vision] I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”
17 以色列王对约沙法说:“我岂没有告诉你,这人指着我所说的预言,不说吉语,单说凶言吗?”
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He [always] predicts that bad things will happen to me.”
18 米该雅说:“你们要听耶和华的话。我看见耶和华坐在宝座上,天上的万军侍立在他左右。
But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven [standing around him], on his right side and on his left side.
19 耶和华说:‘谁去引诱以色列王亚哈上基列的拉末去阵亡呢?’这个就这样说,那个就那样说。
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ “Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
20 随后,有一个神灵出来,站在耶和华面前说:‘我去引诱他。’耶和华问他说:‘你用何法呢?’
“Finally one spirit, [having received a message from Satan], came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’ “Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’
21 他说:‘我去,要在他众先知口中作谎言的灵。’耶和华说:‘这样,你必能引诱他,你去如此行吧!’
“The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’
22 现在耶和华使谎言的灵入了你这些先知的口,并且耶和华已经命定降祸与你。”
“So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
23 基拿拿的儿子西底家前来打米该雅的脸,说:“耶和华的灵从哪里离开我与你说话呢?”
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?”
24 米该雅说:“你进严密的屋子藏躲的那日,就必看见了。”
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [to which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian soldiers]!”
25 以色列王说:“将米该雅带回,交给邑宰亚们和王的儿子约阿施,说:
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
26 ‘王如此说:把这个人下在监里,使他受苦,吃不饱喝不足,等候我平平安安地回来。’”
Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely [from the battle]!”
27 米该雅说:“你若能平安回来,那就是耶和华没有借我说这话了”;又说:“众民哪,你们都要听!”
Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”
So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
29 以色列王对约沙法说:“我要改装上阵,你可以仍穿王服。”于是以色列王改装,他们就上阵去了。
King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king.] But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
30 先是亚兰王吩咐车兵长说:“他们的兵将,无论大小,你们都不可与他们争战,只要与以色列王争战。”
The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”
31 车兵长看见约沙法便说,这必是以色列王,就转过去与他争战。约沙法一呼喊,耶和华就帮助他, 神又感动他们离开他。
So when the soldiers who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing the royal robes], they thought “He must be the king of Israel!”
So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.
33 有一人随便开弓,恰巧射入以色列王的甲缝里。王对赶车的说:“我受了重伤,你转过车来,拉我出阵吧!”
But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been [severely] wounded!”
34 那日阵势越战越猛,以色列王勉强站在车上抵挡亚兰人,直到晚上。约在日落的时候,王就死了。
The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.