2 Imilando 20
1 Ngemva kwalokho amaMowabi lama-Amoni kanye labanye bamaMewuni baphuma impi ukuba bayehlasela uJehoshafathi.
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 Amanye amadoda aya kuJehoshafathi afika athi kuye, “Kulempi enkulu ezayo ukuzakuhlasela evela ngase-Edomi, ngaphetsheya kolwandle. IsiseHazazoni Thamari” (okuyikuthi, Eni-Gedi).
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 Ngokwethuka, uJehoshafathi wazimisela ukumdinga uThixo, wamemezela ukuba akuzilwe ukudla kulolonke elakoJuda.
Then Jehoshaphat, being terrified with fear, gave himself entirely to petitioning the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.
4 Abantu bakoJuda baqoqana bahlangana bezodinga usizo kuThixo, lakanye baphuma kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda.
And Judah gathered together to pray to the Lord. Moreover, everyone from their cities came to beseech him.
5 Ngakho uJehoshafathi wema phambi kwebandla lakoJuda lelaseJerusalema ethempelini likaThixo phambi kweguma elitsha
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 wathi, “Oh Thixo, Nkulunkulu wabokhokho, kakusuwe yini uNkulunkulu osezulwini? Ubusa phezu kwemibuso yezizwe zonke. Amandla asesandleni sakho, njalo kakho ongamelana lawe.
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 Oh Nkulunkulu wethu, awubaxotshanga ababekuleli lizwe phambi kwabantu bakho bako-Israyeli wabanika ukuba libe ngelabo nini lanini abesizukulwane sika-Abhrahama umngane wakho na?
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 Sebehlale kulo njalo sebakhe indawo yokukhonzela yeBizo lakho, besithi,
And they lived in it. And they built a Sanctuary to your name in it, saying:
9 ‘Nxa sisehlelwa zinhlupheko, loba yinkemba yokwahlulela, loba yizifo loba yindlala, sizakuma ngobukhona bakho phambi kwalelithempeli elileBizo lakho sikhale kuwe ekuhlukuluzweni kwethu, wena uzasizwa njalo usisindise.’
‘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 Kodwa khathesi nanka amadoda ama-Amoni lamaMowabi labeNtabeni yaseSeyiri, abelizwe owalela u-Israyeli ukuba alinqobe ekuphumeni kwakhe eGibhithe; okwabangela ukuthi babatshiye abaze bababhubhisa.
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 Khangela ukuthi khathesi baphindisela ngokunganani ngokusemuka isipho owasipha sona ukuba sibe yilifa lethu.
They are doing the contrary, and they are striving to cast us from the possession which you delivered to us.
12 Oh Nkulunkulu wethu, awuyikubahlulela na? Ngoba asilamandla okumelana lebutho elikhulu kangaka elisihlaselayo. Asikwazi esingakwenza, kodwa amehlo ethu aphezu kwakho.”
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 Wonke amadoda akoJuda, labomkabo labantwabawo lensane, bema lapho phambi kukaThixo.
Truly, all of Judah was standing before the Lord with their little ones and wives and children.
14 UMoya kaThixo wehlela kuJahaziyeli indodana kaZakhariya, indodana kaBhenaya, indodana kaJeyiyeli, indodana kaMathaniya, umLevi oyisizukulwane sika-Asafi, emi phambi kwebandla.
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 Wasesithi: “Lalela, wena Nkosi Jehoshafathi labo bonke abahlala koJuda labaseJerusalema! Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo kini: ‘Lingesabi njalo lingadediswa yibukhulu bebutho laleyompi. Ngoba ukulwa akusikwenu, kodwa ngokukaNkulunkulu.
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 Kusasa hambani liyejamelana labo. Bona bazakhwela ngokhalo lwaseZizi, lina lizabathola ekucineni kodonga eNkangala yaseJeruweli.
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 Aliyikuyilwa limpi. Lunganini ezindaweni; lime ngesibindi lizabona ukuhlenga kukaThixo azalenzela khona, Oh lina bakaJuda lani beJerusalema. Lingesabi, lingadangali. Phumani kusasa liyehlasela, uThixo uzakuba lani.’”
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 UJehoshafathi wakhothama ubuso buphansi kanti njalo bonke abakoJuda labaseJerusalema bawela phansi ngobuso bemkhonza uThixo.
Then Jehoshaphat, and Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell prone on the ground before the Lord, and they adored him.
19 Ngakho abanye abaLevi bamaKhohathi, lamaKhora bema bamdumisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngelizwi eliphakemeyo okuphezulu.
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 Kwathi ekuseni kakhulu basuka baya eNkangala yaseThekhowa. Bathi besuka lapho, uJehoshafathi waphakama wathi, “Lalelani kimi, bantu bakoJuda lani baseJerusalema! Thembelani kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzaliphathisa; likholwe abaphrofethi bakhe, lizaphumelela.”
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 Ngemva kokubuza abantu, uJehoshafathi wakhetha amadoda okuhlabelela uThixo lokumdumisa ngenxa yenkazimulo yobungcwele bakhe bekhokhele amabutho, besithi: “Mbongeni uThixo, ngoba uthando lwakhe lumi nininini.”
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 Bathi beqalisa ukuhlabelela njalo bedumisa, uThixo wabeka abantu bokucathamela abase-Amoni labase-Mowabi labaseNtabeni iSeyiri ababedinga ukuhlasela uJuda, behlulwa.
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 Amadoda ako-Amoni lawamaMowabi avukela amadoda ayevela eNtabeni yaseSeyiri ukuba bawabulale bawatshabalalise. Ngemva kokuba sebeqedile ukubulala abaseSeyiri, banceda ngokubulalana bodwa.
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 Amadoda akoJuda athe efika endaweni emalungana lenkangala bakhangela lapho okwakulebutho elikhulu khona babona ngezidumbu zelekene phansi, kungekho loyedwa owayebalekile.
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 Ngakho uJehoshafathi lamanye amadoda bahamba bayabutha impango, njalo phakathi kwayo bafumana impahla zokusebenzisa lezembatho lezinye njalo impahla eziligugu ukwedlula lezo ababengazithwala. Impango yayinengi kwaze kwathatha insuku ezintathu beyithutha.
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 Ngosuku lwesine babuthana eSigodini saseBherakha, lapho abadumisela khona uThixo. Kungenxa yalokho yonale indawo yabizwa ngokuthi iSigodi saseBherakha kuze kube lamuhla.
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 Ngakho wonke amadoda akoJuda lawaseJerusalema abuyela ngokuthokoza eJerusalema, bekhokhelwa nguJehoshafathi ngoba uThixo wayebenzele lokho okwakubajabulisile phezu kwezitha zabo.
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 Bangena eJerusalema baya ethempelini likaThixo betshaya imihubhe lemiqangala lamacilongo.
And they entered into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, into the house of the Lord.
29 Ukwesaba uNkulunkulu kwehlela phezu kwayo yonke imibuso emazweni besizwa ngokulwa kukaThixo esilwa lezitha zika-Israyeli.
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 Lakanye umbuso kaJehoshafathi waba lokuthula, ngoba uNkulunkulu wakhe wayemnike ukuphumula inxa zonke.
And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet. And God granted to him peace on all sides.
31 Ngakho uJehoshafathi wabusa koJuda. Waba yinkosi yakoJuda eleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu, wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu. Unina wayengu-Azubha indodakazi kaShilihi.
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 Wahamba ngezindlela zikayise u-Asa njalo kazange aphambuke kuzo; wenza okulungileyo phambi kukaThixo.
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 Izindawo zokukhonzela kazisuswanga njalo abantu babelokhu bengazimiselanga ngezinhliziyo zabo ngokupheleleyo kuNkulunkulu waboyise.
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 Ezinye izehlakalo ngombuso kaJehoshafathi kusukela ekuqaleni kusiya ekucineni, zilotshiwe embalini kaJehu, indodana kaHanani, yona elotshwe egwalweni lwamakhosi ako-Israyeli.
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 Ngokuqhubeka kwezikhathi, uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda waba lesibopho asenza lo-Ahaziya inkosi yako-Israyeli, owayelecala lokwenza okubi.
After these things, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, formed a friendship with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, whose works were very impious.
36 Wavumelana laye ukuba bakhe imikhumbi yokuthwala impahla zokuthengiselana. Ngemva kokuba isiyakhiwe e-Eziyoni-Gebheri,
And he was a partner in the making of ships, which would go to Tarshish. And they made the fleet at Eziongeber.
37 u-Eliyezari indodana kaDodavahu waseMaresha wakhuluma isiphrofethi esilahla uJehoshafathi, esithi, “Ngenxa yokuthi wenza isibopho lo-Ahaziya, uThixo uzadiliza lokho okwenzileyo.” Imikhumbi yabhidlika ayaze yenelisa ukungena olwandle isiyathengisa.
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.”
