דברי הימים ב 20
| ויהי אחריכן באו בני מואב ובני עמון ועמהם מהעמונים על יהושפט למלחמה׃ | 1 |
Later [armies from] Moab and Ammon and some soldiers from [the] Meun [area in Edom] came [to fight] against Jehoshaphat’s [army].
| ויבאו ויגידו ליהושפט לאמר בא עליך המון רב מעבר לים מארם והנם בחצצון תמר היא עין גדי׃ | 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.
| וירא ויתן יהושפט את פניו לדרוש ליהוה ויקרא צום על כל יהודה׃ | 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.
| ויקבצו יהודה לבקש מיהוה גם מכל ערי יהודה באו לבקש את יהוה׃ | 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.
| ויעמד יהושפט בקהל יהודה וירושלם בבית יהוה לפני החצר החדשה׃ | 5 |
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in front of the people of Judah in front of the new courtyard of the temple,
| ויאמר יהוה אלהי אבתינו הלא אתה הוא אלהים בשמים ואתה מושל בכל ממלכות הגוים ובידך כח וגבורה ואין עמך להתיצב׃ | 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.
| הלא אתה אלהינו הורשת את ישבי הארץ הזאת מלפני עמך ישראל ותתנה לזרע אברהם אהבך לעולם׃ | 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.
| וישבו בה ויבנו לך בה מקדש לשמך לאמר׃ | 8 |
We have lived here and have built a temple where we, your people, worship you. We said,
| אם תבוא עלינו רעה חרב שפוט ודבר ורעב נעמדה לפני הבית הזה ולפניך כי שמך בבית הזה ונזעק אליך מצרתנו ותשמע ותושיע׃ | 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.'
| ועתה הנה בני עמון ומואב והר שעיר אשר לא נתתה לישראל לבוא בהם בבאם מארץ מצרים כי סרו מעליהם ולא השמידום׃ | 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].
| והנה הם גמלים עלינו לבוא לגרשנו מירשתך אשר הורשתנו׃ | 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]
| אלהינו הלא תשפט בם כי אין בנו כח לפני ההמון הרב הזה הבא עלינו ואנחנו לא נדע מה נעשה כי עליך עינינו׃ | 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.”
| וכל יהודה עמדים לפני יהוה גם טפם נשיהם ובניהם׃ | 13 |
All the men of Judah and their wives and children and babies were standing there in the presence of Yahweh [while Jehoshaphat prayed].
| ויחזיאל בן זכריהו בן בניה בן יעיאל בן מתניה הלוי מן בני אסף היתה עליו רוח יהוה בתוך הקהל׃ | 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,
| ויאמר הקשיבו כל יהודה וישבי ירושלם והמלך יהושפט כה אמר יהוה לכם אתם אל תיראו ואל תחתו מפני ההמון הרב הזה כי לא לכם המלחמה כי לאלהים׃ | 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].
| מחר רדו עליהם הנם עלים במעלה הציץ ומצאתם אתם בסוף הנחל פני מדבר ירואל׃ | 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.
| לא לכם להלחם בזאת התיצבו עמדו וראו את ישועת יהוה עמכם יהודה וירושלם אל תיראו ואל תחתו מחר צאו לפניהם ויהוה עמכם׃ | 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.’”
| ויקד יהושפט אפים ארצה וכל יהודה וישבי ירושלם נפלו לפני יהוה להשתחות ליהוה׃ | 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.
| ויקמו הלוים מן בני הקהתים ומן בני הקרחים להלל ליהוה אלהי ישראל בקול גדול למעלה׃ | 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].
| וישכימו בבקר ויצאו למדבר תקוע ובצאתם עמד יהושפט ויאמר שמעוני יהודה וישבי ירושלם האמינו ביהוה אלהיכם ותאמנו האמינו בנביאיו והצליחו׃ | 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.”
| ויועץ אל העם ויעמד משררים ליהוה ומהללים להדרת קדש בצאת לפני החלוץ ואמרים הודו ליהוה כי לעולם חסדו׃ | 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.”
| ובעת החלו ברנה ותהלה נתן יהוה מארבים על בני עמון מואב והר שעיר הבאים ליהודה וינגפו׃ | 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.
| ויעמדו בני עמון ומואב על ישבי הר שעיר להחרים ולהשמיד וככלותם ביושבי שעיר עזרו איש ברעהו למשחית׃ | 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.
| ויהודה בא על המצפה למדבר ויפנו אל ההמון והנם פגרים נפלים ארצה ואין פליטה׃ | 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.
| ויבא יהושפט ועמו לבז את שללם וימצאו בהם לרב ורכוש ופגרים וכלי חמדות וינצלו להם לאין משא ויהיו ימים שלושה בזזים את השלל כי רב הוא׃ | 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.
| וביום הרבעי נקהלו לעמק ברכה כי שם ברכו את יהוה על כן קראו את שם המקום ההוא עמק ברכה עד היום׃ | 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.]
| וישבו כל איש יהודה וירושלם ויהושפט בראשם לשוב אל ירושלם בשמחה כי שמחם יהוה מאויביהם׃ | 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.
| ויבאו ירושלם בנבלים ובכנרות ובחצצרות אל בית יהוה׃ | 28 |
When they arrived at Jerusalem, they went to the temple, [playing] harps and lutes and trumpets.
| ויהי פחד אלהים על כל ממלכות הארצות בשמעם כי נלחם יהוה עם אויבי ישראל׃ | 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.
| ותשקט מלכות יהושפט וינח לו אלהיו מסביב׃ | 30 |
Then there was peace in the kingdom that was ruled by Jehoshaphat, because God had caused the surrounding nations not to attack it.
| וימלך יהושפט על יהודה בן שלשים וחמש שנה במלכו ועשרים וחמש שנה מלך בירושלם ושם אמו עזובה בת שלחי׃ | 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.
| וילך בדרך אביו אסא ולא סר ממנה לעשות הישר בעיני יהוה׃ | 32 |
He did things that were pleasing to Yahweh, like his father Asa had done, and he did not stop doing those things.
| אך הבמות לא סרו ועוד העם לא הכינו לבבם לאלהי אבתיהם׃ | 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.
| ויתר דברי יהושפט הראשנים והאחרנים הנם כתובים בדברי יהוא בן חנני אשר העלה על ספר מלכי ישראל׃ | 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.
| ואחריכן אתחבר יהושפט מלך יהודה עם אחזיה מלך ישראל הוא הרשיע לעשות׃ | 35 |
During his reign, Jehoshaphat made a treaty with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, who was a very wicked king.
| ויחברהו עמו לעשות אניות ללכת תרשיש ויעשו אניות בעציון גבר׃ | 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],
| ויתנבא אליעזר בן דדוהו ממרשה על יהושפט לאמר כהתחברך עם אחזיהו פרץ יהוה את מעשיך וישברו אניות ולא עצרו ללכת אל תרשיש׃ | 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.
