1It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
1約沙法禁食祈禱退敵後來,摩押人、亞捫人和一些米烏尼人,一同來攻擊約沙法。
2Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
2有人來向約沙法報告說:“從海的對岸,就是從以東,有大軍前來攻擊你;現在他們在哈洗遜.他瑪。”哈洗遜.他瑪就是隱.基底。
3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
3於是約沙法害怕起來,定意要尋求耶和華,就在猶大全地宣告禁食。
4And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
4於是猶大人集合起來,尋求耶和華的幫助;猶大各城中都有人出來尋求耶和華。
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
5約沙法就在猶大和耶路撒冷的會眾中,站在耶和華殿的新院子前面,
6And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
6說:“耶和華我們列祖的 神啊,你不是天上的 神嗎?你不是統治萬國的嗎?你手中有大能大力,沒有人能抵擋你。
7Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
7我們的 神啊,你不是曾經把這地的居民從你的子民以色列人面前趕走,把這地賜給你的朋友亞伯拉罕的後裔永遠作產業嗎?
8And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
8他們住在那地,又在那裡為你的名建造了一座聖所,說:
9If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
9‘如果有災禍臨到我們,無論是刀劍、刑罰、瘟疫、饑荒,我們在急難的時候,站在這殿和你的面前,向你呼求,你必垂聽和施行拯救,因為你的名是在這殿內。’
10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
10現在這裡有亞捫人、摩押人和西珥山的人,從前以色列人從埃及地出來的時候,你不許以色列人侵犯他們。那時,以色列人就離開了他們,不除滅他們。
11Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
11現在你看,他們怎樣報復我們;他們要來把我們從你賜給我們承受作產業的地趕出去。
12O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
12我們的 神啊,你不懲罰他們嗎?因為我們沒有力量抵擋這來攻打我們的大軍;我們也不知道該作甚麼;我們的眼睛只有仰望你。”
13And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
13那時全猶大的人,連他們的嬰孩、妻子和兒女,都站在耶和華面前。
14Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation;
14當時,耶和華的靈在會眾中臨到利未人亞薩的後裔,瑪探雅的玄孫、耶利的曾孫、比拿雅的孫子、撒迦利亞的兒子雅哈悉;
15And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
15他就說:“全猶大的人、耶路撒冷的居民和約沙法王啊,你們要留意!耶和華這樣對你們說:‘你們不要因這大軍懼怕和驚慌,因為戰爭的勝負不是在於你們,而是在於 神。
16To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
16明天你們要下去攻擊他們,他們會從洗斯的斜坡上來,你們必在耶魯伊勒曠野東面的谷口遇見他們。
17Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
17猶大人和耶路撒冷人哪,這次你們不必出戰,只要穩守陣地,站立不動,看耶和華為你們施行的拯救。’你們不要懼怕,也不要驚慌;明天要出去攻擊他們,耶和華必和你們同在。”
18And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.
18於是約沙法面伏於地,全猶大的人和耶路撒冷的居民都俯伏在耶和華面前,敬拜耶和華。
19And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
19哥轄子孫中和可拉子孫中的利未人,都站起來高聲讚美耶和華以色列的 神。
20And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
20大勝而回(王上22:41~45)第二天早晨,眾人清早起來,出發到提哥亞的曠野去;他們正出去的時候,約沙法站起來,說:“猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民哪,你們要聽我的話;信靠耶和華你們的 神,你們就必堅立;信靠他的先知,你們就必亨通。”
21And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
21約沙法和人民商議好了,就指派向耶和華歌唱的人,使他們身穿聖潔的服飾,走在軍隊的前面,讚美耶和華,說:“你們要稱頌耶和華,因他的慈愛永遠長存。”
22And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
22他們正在歡呼讚美的時候,耶和華就派出伏兵,擊殺那前來攻打猶大人的亞捫人、摩押人和西珥山的人,他們就被擊潰了。
23For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
23原來亞捫人和摩押人起來攻擊住西珥山的人,把他們殺盡滅絕;他們滅盡了住西珥山的人以後,竟又自相殘殺。
24And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
24猶大人來到曠野的瞭望樓,向那大軍觀望,只見伏屍遍地,沒有一個逃脫的。
25And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
25約沙法和他的人民就來掠奪敵人的財物,在屍首中見許多財物、衣服和珍寶。他們剝脫下來的,多得不能攜帶;因為掠物甚多,所以掠奪了三天。
26And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.
26第四日,他們聚集在比拉迦谷,在那裡稱頌耶和華,因此那地方名叫比拉迦谷,直到今日。
27Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
27事後,猶大和耶路撒冷所有的人,在約沙法率領下,都歡歡喜喜回耶路撒冷去了,耶和華使他們因勝過仇敵歡喜快樂。
28And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.
28他們拿著琴瑟和號筒來到耶路撒冷,進了耶和華的殿。
29And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.
29世上列國一聽見耶和華戰敗了以色列的仇敵,就都懼怕 神。
30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.
30這樣,約沙法的國得享太平,因為他的 神使他四境安寧。
31And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
31約沙法登基統治猶大的時候,是三十五歲;他在耶路撒冷作王共二十五年。他的母親名叫阿蘇巴,是示利希的女兒。
32And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.
32約沙法遵行他父親亞撒的道路,總不偏離,行耶和華看為正的事。
33Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.
33只是邱壇還沒有除掉,人民仍然沒有定意歸向他們列祖的 神。
34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
34約沙法其餘的事蹟,一生的始末,都記在哈拿尼的兒子耶戶的言行錄上;這言行錄又收錄在以色列諸王記上。
35And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:
35約沙法與亞哈謝修好(王上22:48~49)後來,猶大王約沙法和作惡多端的以色列王亞哈謝結盟。
36And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.
36約沙法和他合夥建造船隻,開往他施去;他們是在以旬.迦別建造船隻。
37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
37那時,瑪利沙人多大瓦的兒子以利以謝說預言攻擊約沙法,說:“因為你和亞哈謝結盟,耶和華必破壞你建造的船隻。”後來那些船隻果然受到破壞,不能開往他施去。