2 Imilando 20
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokho abantwana bakoMowabi labantwana bakoAmoni belabanye ngaphandle kwamaAmoni beza bamelana loJehoshafathi empini.
Later [armies from] Moab and Ammon and some soldiers from [the] Meun [area in Edom] came [to fight] against Jehoshaphat’s [army].
2 Kwasekusiza abanye babikela uJehoshafathi besithi: Kuyeza ixuku elikhulu ukumelana lawe elivela phetsheya kolwandle, eSiriya; khangela-ke, liseHazazoni-Tamari, eyiEngedi.
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.
3 UJehoshafathi wasesesaba, wamisa ubuso bakhe ukudinga iNkosi, wamemezela ukuzila ukudla kuye wonke uJuda.
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.
4 UJuda wasezibuthanisa ukudinga eNkosini; lasemizini yonke yakoJuda baphuma beza ukudinga iNkosi.
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.
5 UJehoshafathi wasesima ebandleni lakoJuda leJerusalema endlini yeNkosi phambi kweguma elitsha.
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in front of the people of Judah in front of the new courtyard of the temple,
6 Wasesithi: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wabobaba, wena kawusuye yini uNkulunkulu emazulwini? Yebo, kawubusi yini kuyo yonke imibuso yezizwe? Lesandleni sakho kukhona amandla lengalo, ukuze kungabi khona ongamelana lawe.
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.
7 KawusiNkulunkulu wethu yini? Uxotshile abahlali balelilizwe elifeni phambi kwabantu bakho uIsrayeli, walinika inzalo kaAbrahama umngane wakho kuze kube phakade.
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.
8 Basebehlala kilo, bakwakhela indawo engcwele kulo eyebizo lakho, besithi:
We have lived here and have built a temple where we, your people, worship you. We said,
9 Uba kusehlela phezu kwethu ububi, inkemba, isahlulelo, loba umatshayabhuqe wesifo, loba indlala, sizakuma phambi kwalindlu laphambi kwakho (ngoba ibizo lakho likulindlu), sikhale kuwe ekubandezelekeni kwethu, uzakuzwa-ke usindise.
'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.'
10 Ngakho-ke, khangela, abantwana bakoAmoni labakoMowabi labentabeni iSeyiri ongavumanga ukuthi uIsrayeli adlule phakathi kwabo lapho besuka elizweni leGibhithe, kodwa babafulathela kabababhubhisanga;
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].
11 khangela-ke, basivuza beza ukuzasixotsha elifeni lakho owenze ukuthi silidle.
[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]
12 Nkulunkulu wethu, kawuyikubahlulela yini? Ngoba amandla kawakho kithi okumelana lalelixuku elikhulu elize ukumelana lathi; njalo thina kasikwazi esingakwenza, kodwa amehlo ethu akuwe.
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.”
13 UJuda wonke wasesima phambi kweNkosi, lensane zabo, omkabo labantwana babo.
All the men of Judah and their wives and children and babies were standing there in the presence of Yahweh [while Jehoshaphat prayed].
14 Khona uJahaziyeli indodana kaZekhariya indodana kaBhenaya indodana kaJeyiyeli indodana kaMathaniya, umLevi emadodaneni kaAsafi, uMoya weNkosi wafika phezu kwakhe phakathi kwebandla.
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,
15 Wasesithi: Lalelani lonke bakoJuda labahlali beJerusalema, lawe nkosi Jehoshafathi; itsho njalo iNkosi kini: Lina lingesabi lingatshaywa luvalo ngenxa yalelixuku elikhulu, ngoba impi kayisiyo yenu, kodwa ngekaNkulunkulu.
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].
16 Kusasa yehlani limelane labo; khangela, bayenyuka ngomqanso weZizi; lizabathola ekucineni kwesihotsha phambi kwenkangala yeJeruweli.
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.
17 Kakusikwenu ukulwa kule impi; zimiseni lime, libone usindiso lweNkosi lani, Juda leJerusalema. Lingesabi lingatshaywa luvalo; kusasa phumani limelene labo, ngoba iNkosi izakuba lani.
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.’”
18 UJehoshafathi wasekhothamisa ikhanda emhlabathini, laye wonke uJuda labahlali beJerusalema bawa phambi kweNkosi, beyikhonza iNkosi.
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.
19 AmaLevi kubantwana bakoKohathi lakubantwana bakoKora asesukuma ukudumisa iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngelizwi elikhulu eliphezulu.
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].
20 Basebevuka ekuseni kakhulu, baphuma baya enkangala yeThekhowa; lekuphumeni kwabo uJehoshafathi wema wathi: Ngilalelani Juda labahlali beJerusalema. Kholwani eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu, lizaqiniswa; likholwe kubaprofethi bayo, lizaphumelela.
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.”
21 Esecebisene labantu wamisela iNkosi abahlabeleli, abazadumisa ubuhle bobungcwele, ekuphumeni phambi kwabahlomileyo, besithi: Dumisani iNkosi, ngoba umusa wayo umi kuze kube nininini.
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.”
22 Kwathi lapho beqalisa ukuhlabelela lokudumisa, iNkosi yabeka abacathameli ukumelana labantwana bakoAmoni, uMowabi, lentaba iSeyiri, ababezemelana loJuda; basebetshaywa.
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.
23 Ngoba abantwana bakoAmoni labakoMowabi basukuma bamelana labahlali bentaba yeSeyiri ukutshabalalisa lokuchitha; njalo sebebaqedile abahlali beSeyiri, bancedisa ngulowo umakhelwane wakhe encithakalweni.
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.
24 UJuda esefikile enqabeni yokulinda enkangala bakhangela ngasexukwini, khangela-ke, kwakulezidumbu eziwele emhlabathini; njalo kungekho ophephileyo.
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.
25 UJehoshafathi labantu bakhe sebefikile ukuphanga impango bathola phakathi kwabo ngobunengi, impahla lazo, lezidumbu, lezinto eziligugu, baziphangela baze behluleka ukuzithwala. Njalo baba lensuku ezintathu bephanga impango ngoba yayinengi.
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.
26 Njalo ngosuku lwesine babuthana esihotsheni seBeraka, ngoba lapho bayibusisa iNkosi; ngenxa yalokho babiza ibizo laleyondawo ngokuthi yisihotsha seBeraka kuze kube lamuhla.
The following day they gathered in Beracah Valley and praised Yahweh there. That is why that valley is still called Beracah, [which means praise.]
27 Basebebuyela, wonke umuntu wakoJuda leJerusalema, loJehoshafathi enhlokweni yabo, ukuthi babuyele eJerusalema belentokozo, ngoba iNkosi yabathokozisa phezu kwezitha zabo.
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.
28 Basebengena eJerusalema belezigubhu zezintambo lamachacho lezimpondo, baya endlini yeNkosi.
When they arrived at Jerusalem, they went to the temple, [playing] harps and lutes and trumpets.
29 Uvalo ngoNkulunkulu lwaselusiba phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yamazwe lapho besizwa ukuthi iNkosi yalwa lezitha zikaIsrayeli.
People in the kingdoms of the nearby countries became very afraid when they heard how Yahweh had fought against the enemies of the Israelis.
30 Ngakho umbuso kaJehoshafathi waba lokuthula, ngoba uNkulunkulu wakhe wamphumuza inhlangothi zonke.
Then there was peace in the kingdom that was ruled by Jehoshaphat, because God had caused the surrounding nations not to attack it.
31 UJehoshafathi wabusa-ke phezu kukaJuda; wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu lapho esiba yinkosi, wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu eJerusalema. Lebizo likanina lalinguAzuba indodakazi kaShilehi.
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.
32 Wasehamba ngendlela kayise uAsa, kaphambukanga kuyo, esenza okulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi.
He did things that were pleasing to Yahweh, like his father Asa had done, and he did not stop doing those things.
33 Lanxa kunjalo indawo eziphakemeyo kazisuswanga; ngoba abantu babelokhu bengalungisanga inhliziyo yabo kuNkulunkulu waboyise.
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.
34 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaJehoshafathi, ezokuqala lezokucina, khangela, zibhaliwe ezindabeni zikaJehu indodana kaHanani ezagoqelwa egwalweni lwamakhosi akoIsrayeli.
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.
35 Lemva kwalokho uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wazihlanganisa loAhaziya inkosi yakoIsrayeli owenza ngenkohlakalo ekwenzeni.
During his reign, Jehoshaphat made a treaty with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, who was a very wicked king.
36 Wasezihlanganisa laye ukwenza imikhumbi yokuya eTarshishi; basebeyenza imikhumbi eEziyoni-Geberi.
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],
37 UEliyezeri indodana kaDodavahu weMaresha waseprofetha emelene loJehoshafathi esithi: Ngoba uzihlanganise loAhaziya, iNkosi yephulile imisebenzi yakho. Ngakho imikhumbi yephuka, ayaze yenelisa ukuya eTarshishi.
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.
