2 Chronicles 20
1 After these things, the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and with them some from the Ammonites, gathered together so that they might fight against him.
[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。
2 And messengers arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying: “A great multitude has arrived against you, from those places that are across the sea, and from Syria. And behold, they are standing together at Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi.”
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。」
3 Then Jehoshaphat, being terrified with fear, gave himself entirely to petitioning the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.
約沙法特害了怕，一面懇求上主，一面宣佈全猶大禁食。
4 And Judah gathered together to pray to the Lord. Moreover, everyone from their cities came to beseech him.
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]
5 And when Jehoshaphat had stood up in the midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new atrium,
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，
6 he said: “O Lord, God of our fathers, you are God in heaven, and you rule over all the kingdoms of the Gentiles. In your hand is strength and power, and no one is able to withstand you.
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。
7 Did not you, our God, put to death all the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel? And you gave it to the offspring of your friend Abraham, for all time.
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﹖
8 And they lived in it. And they built a Sanctuary to your name in it, saying:
他們現在住在這地方，並在這地方為你的名建造了聖殿說：
9 ‘If evils will have fallen upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in your sight before this house, in which your name is invoked, and we will cry out to you in our tribulations. And you will heed us and accomplish our salvation.’
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。
10 Now therefore, behold the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and mount Seir, through whose lands you did not permit Israel to cross when they were departing from Egypt. Instead, they turned aside from them, and they did not put them to death.
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。
11 They are doing the contrary, and they are striving to cast us from the possession which you delivered to us.
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。
12 Therefore, will you, our God, not judge them? Certainly, in us there is not enough strength so that we would be able to withstand this multitude, which rushes against us. But although we do not know what we ought to do, we have this alone remaining, that we direct our eyes to you.”
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。」
13 Truly, all of Judah was standing before the Lord with their little ones and wives and children.
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]
14 But there was Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the sons of Asaph, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord went, in the midst of the crowd.
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，
15 And he said: “Pay attention, all of Judah, and you who live in Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid. Neither should you be dismayed by this multitude. For the fight is not yours, but God’s.
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。
16 Tomorrow, you shall descend against them. For they will ascend along the incline named Ziz, and will find them at the summit of the torrent, which is opposite the wilderness of Jeruel.
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。
17 It will not be you who will fight. Instead, only stand with confidence, and you will see the help of the Lord over you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid. Neither should you be dismayed. Tomorrow you shall go forth against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
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。」
18 Then Jehoshaphat, and Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell prone on the ground before the Lord, and they adored him.
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。
19 And the Levites from the sons of Kohath, and from the sons of Korah, were praising the Lord, the God of Israel, with a great voice, on high.
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]
20 And when they had risen up in the morning, they went out through the desert of Tekoa. And as they were setting out, Jehoshaphat, standing in their midst, said: “Listen to me, men of Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be secure. Believe in his prophets, and everything will come to prosperity.”
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。」
21 And he gave counsel to the people. And he appointed the singing men of the Lord, so that they would praise him by their companies, and so that they would go before the army, and with one voice say: “Confess to the Lord. For his mercy is eternal.”
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! 」
22 And when they had begun to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushes upon themselves, that is, those of the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who had gone forth so that they might fight against Judah. And they were struck down.
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。
23 For the sons of Ammon and of Moab rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, so that they might slay and destroy them. And when they had perpetrated this work, now also turning upon themselves, they cut one another with wounds.
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。
24 Then, when Judah had gone to the high point that looks out toward the desert, they saw, from far away, the entire wide region filled with dead bodies. Neither was there anyone who was left alive and had been able to escape death.
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。
25 Therefore, Jehoshaphat went, and all the people with him, in order to take away the spoils of the dead. And they found, among the dead bodies, diverse equipment, and also garments, and very precious vessels. And they despoiled these, to such an extent that they were unable to carry everything. Neither could they, over three days, take away the spoils because of the magnitude of the plunder.
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。
26 Then, on the fourth day, they were gathered together in the Valley of Blessing. For they had blessed the Lord there, and therefore they called that place the Valley of Blessing, even to the present day.
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。
27 And every man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, returned, with Jehoshaphat before them, to Jerusalem, with great rejoicing. For the Lord had granted to them gladness concerning their enemies.
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，
28 And they entered into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, into the house of the Lord.
都彈著琴，鼓著瑟，吹著號，來到耶路撒冷，進了上主的殿。
29 Then the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands, when they had heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
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。
30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet. And God granted to him peace on all sides.
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]
31 And so Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. And he was thirty-five years old when he had begun to reign. Then he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
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。
32 And he walked in the way of his father, Asa, and he did not decline from it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.
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；
33 Yet truly, he did not take away the high places, and the people still had not directed their heart to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
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。
34 But the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, have been written in the words of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which he digested into the books of the kings of Israel.
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]
35 After these things, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, formed a friendship with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, whose works were very impious.
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，
36 And he was a partner in the making of ships, which would go to Tarshish. And they made the fleet at Eziongeber.
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。
37 Then Eliezer, the son of Dodavahu, from Mareshah, prophesied to Jehoshaphat, saying: “Because you have made a pact with Ahaziah, the Lord has struck your works, and the ships have been broken, and they have not been able to go to Tarshish.”
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。
