< 2 Chronicles 15 >
1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded:
[阿匝黎雅的預言]那時,天主的神感動了敖德得的兒子阿匝黎雅,
2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
他便出來迎接阿撒,對他說:「阿撒,全猶大和本雅明人,請聽我的話:幾時你們與上主同在,上主也與你們同在;如果你們尋求他,他必讓你們尋到;但如果你們離棄他,他必離棄你們。
3 Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
將有一段長時期,以色列沒有真天主,沒有教導的司祭,也沒有法律;
4 But when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.
但他們在遭離期間,必回心歸向上主,以色列的天主,必尋求他,他必讓他們尋到。
5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands.
在那時期內,出入的人,都必得不到平安,各地所有的居民,必要遭受很大的混亂:
6 They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity.
這族攻擊那族,這城攻擊那城,因為天主必用種種災禍難為他們。
7 But you be strong, and do not let your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded."
至於你們,你們應當堅強,你們的手不要發軟,因為你們的作為必獲得賞報。」[阿撒的宗教改革]
8 When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the vestibule of the LORD.
阿撒一聽見這些話和預言,便壯了膽,將在猶大和本雅明全境,以及在厄弗辣因山地所佔領的各城內的可憎之物,一概除掉,重修上主門廊前的上主的祭壇,
9 He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
又召集了猶大和本雅明全民眾,以及在他們中間寄居的厄弗辣因人、默納協人和西默盎人,─因為有許多人由以色列來投奔阿撒,因為他們看見上主,他的天主是與他同在。
10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
阿撒當國第十五年三月,他們聚集在耶路撒冷,
11 They sacrificed to the LORD in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.
當天由所擄獲的戰利品,取出了七百頭牛,七千隻羊,祭獻給上主,
12 They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;
結盟立約,要全心全意尋求上主,他們祖先的天主;
13 and that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
凡不尋求上主以色列天主的,不分老幼,不分男女,一律處死。
14 They swore to the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
然後高聲歡呼,鳴號吹角,向上主起誓。
15 All Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest all around.
全猶大人發了這誓,都非常高興,因為他們是全心起誓,全意尋求上主;因此上主也為他們所尋見,並使他們四境安寧。
16 Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it in the Kidron Valley.
阿撒王廢除了他祖母瑪阿加作太后的權位,因為她給阿舍辣立了可恥的柱像;阿撒將柱像砍倒,打得粉碎,在克德龍谷焚燬,
17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
只有以色列的高丘沒有廢除;阿撒的心一生總是純全的。
18 He brought into God's house the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
他又將他父親和他自己所獻的金銀並器具,送入天主的殿內。
19 There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
此後,直到阿撒當國三十五年,從沒有過戰事。