< 2 Chronicles 20 >
1 Later [armies from] Moab and Ammon and some soldiers from [the] Meun [area in Edom] came [to fight] against Jehoshaphat’s [army].
[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 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is coming to attack your army. They are coming from [the] Edom [region], from the eastern side of the [Dead] Sea. They have already come to Hazazon-Tamar!” Another name for that place is En-Gedi.
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 Jehoshaphat became very afraid, so he decided to ask Yahweh [what he should do]. He also proclaimed that all [the people of] Judah should fast.
約沙法特害了怕,一面懇求上主,一面宣佈全猶大禁食。
4 The people of Judah gathered together to request Yahweh to help them. They came [to Jerusalem] from every town in Judah to seek help from Yahweh.
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 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in front of the people of Judah in front of the new courtyard of the temple,
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 and he prayed this: “Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors belonged to, you are surely the God who [rules from] heaven. You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. You have great power, and no one can successfully oppose 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 Our God, you expelled the people who lived in this land while your Israeli people advanced, and you certainly gave it to us who are descendants of your friend Abraham, to belong to us forever.
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 We have lived here and have built a temple where we, your people, worship you. We said,
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 we experience disasters, either from our enemies attacking us or from you punishing us, or if we experience a plague or a famine, we will stand in your presence in front of this temple that is built to honor you, and we will cry out to you when we are distressed/suffering, and you will hear us and will rescue us.'
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 You would not allow our Israeli ancestors to enter the countries of Ammon and Moab and Edom when they were traveling from Egypt [to Canaan]. So our ancestors turned away from those areas and did not attack the people there and did not destroy them. But now they are coming here [to attack us].
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 [We did not destroy them. But now] look at how they are repaying us by trying to expel us from the land that you gave to our ancestors to belong to them [and their descendants forever]
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 So, our God, please punish them, because we do not have enough power to resist/defeat this huge army that is coming to attack us. We do not know what to do. But we are pleading for you to help us.”
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 All the men of Judah and their wives and children and babies were standing there in the presence of Yahweh [while Jehoshaphat prayed].
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 Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, who was the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Benaiah, who was the son of Jeiel, who was the son of Mattaniah. He was a descendant of Levi and a descendant of Asaph. He stood up in front of the whole group that was gathered there,
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 said, “King Jehoshaphat and all you who live in Jerusalem and in other places in Judah, listen! This is what Yahweh says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this huge army [that is coming to attack you], because it is not you who [will win] this battle. It is God [who will win it].
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 march down toward them. They will be climbing up through Ziz Pass [north of En-Gedi]. You will meet them at the end of the gorge near the Jeruel Desert.
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 But you will not need to fight this battle. You soldiers from Jerusalem and other places in Judah, just take your positions, and then stand still and watch [what will happen]. You will see Yahweh rescue you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. March toward them tomorrow, and Yahweh 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 Jehoshaphat prostrated himself with his face touching the ground, and all the people of Jerusalem and other places in Judah [who were there] knelt down to worship Yahweh.
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 Then some descendants of Levi who were descendants of both Kohath and Korah stood up and loudly praised Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [belonged to].
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 Early the next morning the army left to go to the desert near Tekoa [town]. While they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said to the people, “You people of Jerusalem and other places in Judah, listen to me! Trust in Yahweh our God; if you do that, you will be strong. Trust in [what] his prophets [have said]; if you do that, you will be successful.”
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 Then, after consulting with some of the people, he appointed some men to go in front of the army, singing to Yahweh and praising him because of his being holy and wonderful. They were singing, “Thank Yahweh, because he faithfully loves us forever.”
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 When they began to sing and praise Yahweh, Yahweh caused the soldiers from Ammon and Moab and Edom who were invading Judah to panic, with the result that they were defeated.
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 The soldiers from Ammon and Moab started to fight against the soldiers from Edom, and they completely annihilated the soldiers from Edom. After they finished slaughtering the men from Edom, they started to attack each other.
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 When the soldiers from Judah came to the place where they could look down over the desert, they looked toward that huge army [of their enemies], and they saw only corpses lying on the ground. No one had survived.
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 So Jehoshaphat and his soldiers went to take the possessions of their enemies, and they saw that there was a lot of equipment and clothing and other valuable things; there was more than they could carry away. There were very many things, with the result that it took three days for them to collect it all.
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 The following day they gathered in Beracah Valley and praised Yahweh there. That is why that valley is still called Beracah, [which means praise.]
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 Then while Jehoshaphat led them, all the soldiers who were from Jerusalem and other places in Judah returned to Jerusalem. They were happy because Yahweh had enabled them to defeat 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 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they went to the temple, [playing] harps and lutes and trumpets.
都彈著琴,鼓著瑟,吹著號,來到耶路撒冷,進了上主的殿。
29 People in the kingdoms of the nearby countries became very afraid when they heard how Yahweh had fought against the enemies of the Israelis.
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 Then there was peace in the kingdom that was ruled by Jehoshaphat, because God had caused the surrounding nations not to attack it.
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 Jehoshaphat continued to rule Judah. He was 35 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother’s name 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 He did things that were pleasing to Yahweh, like his father Asa had done, and he did not stop doing those things.
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 But he did not get rid of the shrines on the hilltops, and many of the people still did not faithfully do what the God whom their ancestors belonged to wanted.
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 A record of the other things that Jehoshaphat did while he ruled, from when he began to rule until he died, is in the scrolls written by [the prophet] Jehu, the son of Hanani. They are also in the scroll called ‘The History 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 During his reign, Jehoshaphat made a treaty with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, who was a very wicked king.
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 They agreed that their workers would build a fleet of ships to use to buy and sell [things with other countries]. After those ships were built at Ezion-Geber [on the Gulf of Aqaba],
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 Eliezer the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah [city] warned Jehoshaphat. He said, “You have made an alliance with Ahaziah, [who is a wicked king]. Therefore, Yahweh will destroy the ships that your workers have made.” And the ships were wrecked, and were not able to sail to other countries.
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。