2 Chronicles 20
1 Aftir these thingis the sones of Moab, and the sones of Amon, and with hem of Idumeis, weren gaderid togidere to Josaphat, for to fiyte ayens hym.
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.
2 And messangeris camen, and schewiden to Josaphat, seiden, A greet multitude of tho placis that ben biyondis the see, and of Sirie, is comun ayens thee; and, lo! thei stonden in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.
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.”
3 Forsothe Josaphat was aferd by drede, and `yaf hym silf al for to preye `the Lord, and prechide fastynge to al Juda.
Then Jehoshaphat, being terrified with fear, gave himself entirely to petitioning the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.
4 And Juda was gaderid togidere for to preye the Lord, but also alle men camen fro her citees for to biseche hym.
And Judah gathered together to pray to the Lord. Moreover, everyone from their cities came to beseech him.
5 And whanne Josaphat hadde stonde in the myddis of the cumpeny of Juda and of Jerusalem, in the hows of the Lord, bifor the newe large place,
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,
6 he seide, Lord God of oure fadris, thou art God in heuene, and thou art lord of alle rewmes of folkis; strengthe and power ben in thin hond, `and noon may ayenstonde thee.
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.
7 Whether not thou, oure God, hast slayn alle the dwelleris of this lond bifor thi puple Israel, and hast youe it to the seed of Abraham, thi freend, withouten ende?
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.
8 And thei dwelliden therynne, and bildiden therinne a seyntuarie to thi name, and seiden,
And they lived in it. And they built a Sanctuary to your name in it, saying:
9 If yuelis comen on vs, the swerd of doom, pestilence, and hungur, we schulen stonde bifor this hows withouten ende in thi siyt, in which hows thi name is clepid, and we schulen crie to thee in oure tribulaciouns; and thou schalt here vs, and schalt make vs saaf.
‘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.’
10 Now therfor lo! the sones of Amon and of Moab and the hil of Seir, bi whiche thou grauntidist not to the sones of Israel for to passe, whanne thei yeden out of Egipt, but thei bowiden awei fro hem, and killiden not hem,
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.
11 thei doon ayenward, and enforsen to caste vs out of the possessioun, which thou, oure God, hast youe to vs;
They are doing the contrary, and they are striving to cast us from the possession which you delivered to us.
12 therfor whether thou schalt not deme hem? Treuli in vs is not so greet strengthe, that we moun ayenstonde this multitude, that felde yn on vs; but sithen we witen not what we owen to do, we `han oneli this residue, that we dresse oure iyen to thee.
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.”
13 Sotheli al Juda stood bifor the Lord, with her litle children and wyues and fre children.
Truly, all of Judah was standing before the Lord with their little ones and wives and children.
14 Forsothe Hiaziel, the sone of Zacarie, sone of Ananye, sone of Hieyel, sone of Machanye, was a dekene, and of the sones of Asaph, on whom the Spirit of the Lord was maad in the myddis of the cumpeny,
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.
15 and he seide, Al Juda, and ye that dwellen in Jerusalem, and thou, king Josaphat, perseyue ye, the Lord seith these thingis to you, Nyle ye drede, nether be ye aferd of this multitude, for it is not youre batel, but Goddis batel.
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.
16 To morewe ye schulen stie `ayens hem; for thei schulen stie bi the side of the hil, `bi name Seys, and ye schulen fynde hem in the hiynesse of the stronde, which is ayens the wildirnesse of Jheruhel.
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.
17 For it schulen not be ye, that schulen fiyte; but oneli stonde ye trustili, and ye schulen se the help of the Lord on you. A! Juda and Jerusalem, nyle ye drede, nether be ye aferd; to morewe ye schulen go out ayens hem, and the Lord schal be with you.
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.”
18 Therfor Josaphat, and Juda, and alle the dwelleris of Jerusalem, felden lowli on the erthe bifor the Lord, and worschypiden hym.
Then Jehoshaphat, and Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell prone on the ground before the Lord, and they adored him.
19 Forsothe the dekenes of the sones of Caath, and of the sones of Chore, herieden the Lord God of Israel with greet vois an hiy.
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.
20 And whanne thei hadden rise eerli, thei yeden not bi the deseert of Thecue; and whanne thei `hadden gon forth, Josaphat stood in the myddis of hem, and seide, Juda and alle the dwelleris of Jerusalem, here ye me; bileue ye in `youre Lord God, and ye schulen be sikur; bileue ye to hise prophetis, and alle prosperitees schulen come.
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.”
21 And he yaf counsel to the puple, and he ordeynede the syngeris of the Lord, that thei schulden herye hym in her cumpanyes, and that thei schulden go bifor the oost, and seie with acordynge vois, Knouleche ye to the Lord, for he is good; for his merci is `in to the world.
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.”
22 And whanne thei bigunnen to synge heriyngis, the Lord turnede the buyschementis of hem `in to hem silf, that is, of the sones of Amon and of Moab and of the hil of Seir, that yeden out to fiyte ayens Juda; and thei weren slayn.
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.
23 For whi the sones of Amon and of Moab risiden togidere ayens the dwelleris of the hil of Seir, to sle, and to do awey hem; and whanne thei hadden do this in werk, thei weren `turned also `in to hem silf, and felden doun togidere bi woundis ech of othere.
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.
24 Certis whanne Juda was comun to the denne, that biholdith the wildirnesse, he siy afer al the large cuntrei ful of deed bodies, and that noon was left, that miyte ascape deeth.
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.
25 Therfor Josaphat cam, and al the puple with hym, to drawe awey the spuylis of deed men, and thei founden among the deed bodies dyuerse purtenaunce of houshold, and clothis, and ful preciouse vessels; and thei rauyischiden in dyuerse maneres, so that thei myyten not bere alle thingis, nether thei myyten take awei the spuylis bi thre daies, for the greetnesse of prey.
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.
26 Sotheli in the fourthe dai thei weren gaderid togidere in the valey of Blessyng; `forsothe for thei blessiden the Lord there, thei clepiden that place the valei of Blessyng `til in to present dai.
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.
27 And ech man of Juda turnede ayen, and the dwelleris of Jerusalem, and Josaphat bifor hem, in to Jerusalem with greet gladnesse; for the Lord God hadde youe to hem ioye of her enemyes.
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.
28 And thei entriden in to Jerusalem with sawtrees, and harpis, and trumpis, in to the hows of the Lord.
And they entered into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, into the house of the Lord.
29 Forsothe the drede of the Lord felde on alle the rewmes of londis, whanne thei hadden herd, that the Lord hadde fouyte ayens the enemies of Israel.
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.
30 And the rewme of Josaphat restide; and the Lord yaf `pees to hym `bi cumpas.
And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet. And God granted to him peace on all sides.
31 Therfor Josaphat regnede on Juda; and he was of fyue and thritti yeer, whanne he bigan to regne; sotheli he regnede fyue and twenti yeer in Jerusalem; and the name of his modir was Azuba, the douytir of Selathi.
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.
32 And he yede in the weie of Asa his fadir, and bowide not fro it, and he dide what euer thingis weren plesaunt bifor the Lord.
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.
33 Netheles he dide not awei hiy thingis; yit the puple hadde not dressid her herte to the Lord God of her fadris.
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.
34 Forsothe the residue of the formere and the laste dedis of Josaphat ben writun in the book of Hieu, the sone of Anany, which he ordeynede in the book of kyngis of Israel.
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.
35 After these thingis Josaphat, kyng of Juda, made frendschipis with Ocozie, kyng of Israel, whose werkis weren ful yuele;
After these things, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, formed a friendship with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, whose works were very impious.
36 and he was parcener that thei maden schippis, that schulden go in to Tharsis; and thei maden o schip in to Asiongaber.
And he was a partner in the making of ships, which would go to Tarshish. And they made the fleet at Eziongeber.
37 Sotheli Eliezer, sone of Dodan, of Maresa, profesiede to Josaphat, and seide, For thou haddist boond of pees with Ocozie, the Lord smoot thi werkis; and the schippis ben brokun, and myyten not go in to Tharsis.
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.”
