2 Imilando 17
1 UJehoshafathi indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe; waziqinisa ukumelana loIsrayeli.
Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the king [of Judah], and he enabled his army to become very strong, with the result that they could resist attacks from [the army of] Israel.
2 Wasebeka amabutho kuyo yonke imizi ebiyelweyo yakoJuda; wabeka lamabutho enqaba elizweni lakoJuda, lemizini yakoEfrayimi uyise uAsa ayeyithumbile.
He put soldiers in all the cities in Judah around which they had built walls, and he put soldiers in other places in Judah and in the towns in the area belonging to the tribe of Ephraim that [soldiers of] his father Asa had captured.
3 INkosi yasisiba loJehoshafathi, ngoba wahamba ngendlela zakuqala zikaDavida uyise, kabadinganga oBhali;
Yahweh helped Jehoshaphat because when he started [to rule Judah], he did the things that pleased Yahweh like his ancestor [King] David had done. He did not worship the idols of Baal.
4 kodwa wadinga kuNkulunkulu kayise, wahamba ngemilayo yakhe, njalo kungenjengokwenza kukaIsrayeli.
Instead, he sought advice from the God whom his father [had worshiped], and he obeyed God’s commands, and did not do the [evil things that the kings of] Israel continually did.
5 Ngakho iNkosi yawuqinisa umbuso esandleni sakhe, loJuda wonke waletha izipho kuJehoshafathi; wasesiba lenotho lodumo ngobunengi.
Yahweh enabled him to completely control his kingdom. All [the people of] Judah brought gifts to him, with the result that he became very rich and was greatly honored.
6 Inhliziyo yakhe yasiphakama ezindleleni zeNkosi; futhi-ke wasusa indawo eziphakemeyo lezixuku koJuda.
He was completely devoted to doing what pleased Yahweh. His workers got rid of the shrines on the hilltops and the poles for [worshiping the goddess] Asherah throughout Judah.
7 Langomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wathuma kuziphathamandla zakhe, kuBeni-Hayili lakuObhadiya lakuZekhariya lakuNethaneli lakuMikhaya, ukufundisa emizini yakoJuda.
When he had been ruling [Judah] for almost three years, he sent some of his officials—Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach the people in various towns in Judah.
8 Kanye lazo-ke amaLevi, oShemaya loNethaniya loZebhadiya loAsaheli loShemiramothi loJehonathani loAdonija loTobija loTobi-Adonija, amaLevi; kanye labo-ke oElishama loJehoramu, abapristi.
With them he sent several descendants of Levi—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah—and two priests, Elishama and Jehoram.
9 Basebefundisa koJuda, belogwalo lomlayo weNkosi; babhoda kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda, bafundisa abantu.
They took with them a scroll on which were written the laws of Yahweh and taught them to the people in all the towns throughout Judah,
10 Kwasekusiba lokuyesaba iNkosi phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yamazwe ayehanqe uJuda, okokuthi kayilwanga loJehoshafathi.
The people in all the kingdoms surrounding Judah became very afraid of [what Yahweh might do to punish them if they fought against Judah], so they did not start wars with Jehoshaphat’s army.
11 Labanye bamaFilisti bamlethela uJehoshafathi izipho, lesiliva lokuthela; amaArabhiya lawo amlethela imihlambi, inqama eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa lamakhulu ayisikhombisa, lezimpongo eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa lamakhulu ayisikhombisa.
Some people from Philistia brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, and they also brought to him the silver that he demanded that they pay to him. Some Arabs brought to him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.
12 UJehoshafathi wayelokhu ekhula njalo, waze waba sengqongeni. Wasesakha koJuda izinqaba lemizi yeziphala.
Jehoshaphat continued to become more powerful/influential. His workers built forts and places to store supplies in various towns in Judah.
13 Wayelomsebenzi omnengi emizini yakoJuda, lamadoda empi, amaqhawe alamandla, eJerusalema.
Then they put large amounts of supplies in those storehouses. Jehoshaphat also placed in Jerusalem soldiers who were experienced.
14 Lala ngamanani awo ngezindlu zaboyise: KoJuda, induna zezinkulungwane, uAdina engumphathi, njalo kanye laye amaqhawe alamandla azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amathathu;
The leaders and numbers from each tribe were as follows: From the tribe of Judah, Adnah was the leader of the soldiers, and he commanded 300,000 soldiers.
15 leceleni kwakhe uJohanani umphathi, njalo kanye laye izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili;
His assistant was Jehohanan, who commanded 280,000 soldiers.
16 leceleni kwakhe uAmasiya indodana kaZikiri, owazinikela ngesihle eNkosini, njalo kanye laye amaqhawe alamandla azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili.
Next was Zicri’s son Amasiah, who volunteered to serve Yahweh in this way; he commanded 200,000 soldiers.
17 LakoBhenjamini: UEliyada iqhawe elilamandla, njalo kanye laye izinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili, ezihlome ngedandili langesihlangu;
From the tribe of Benjamin, Eliada, who was a brave soldier, was the leader of the soldiers; he commanded 200,000 men who had bows [and arrows] and shields.
18 leceleni kwakhe uJehozabadi, njalo kanye laye izinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili, abahlomele impi.
Next was Jehozabad, who commanded 180,000 men who had weapons for fighting battles.
19 Laba babesebenzela inkosi ngaphandle kwalabo inkosi eyayibabeke emizini ebiyelweyo kuye wonke uJuda.
Those were the soldiers who served the king [in Jerusalem], in addition to the men whom the king had placed in the other cities in Judah that had walls around them.
