歷代志下17:1-19

 

17:1 亞撒的兒子約沙法接續他作王，奮勇自強，防備以色列人，
17:2 安置軍兵在猶大一切堅固城裡，又安置防兵在猶大地和他父亞撒所得以法蓮的城邑中。
17:3 耶和華與約沙法同在；因為他行他祖大衛初行的道，不尋求巴力，
17:4 只尋求他父親的上帝，遵行他的誡命，不效法以色列人的行為。
17:5 所以耶和華堅定他的國，猶大眾人給他進貢；約沙法大有尊榮資財。
17:6 他高興遵行耶和華的道，並且從猶大除掉一切邱壇和木偶。
17:7 他作王第三年，就差遣臣子便亥伊勒、俄巴底、撒迦利雅、拿坦業、米該亞往猶大各城去教訓百姓。
17:8 同著他們有利未人示瑪雅、尼探雅、西巴第雅、亞撒黑、示米拉末、約拿單、亞多尼雅、多比雅、駝巴多尼雅，又有祭司以利沙瑪、約蘭同著他們。
17:9 他們帶著耶和華的律法書，走遍猶大各城教訓百姓。
17:10 耶和華使猶大四圍的列國都甚恐懼，不敢與約沙法爭戰。
17:11 有些非利士人與約沙法送禮物，納貢銀。阿拉伯人也送他公綿羊七千七百隻，公山羊七千七百隻。
17:12 約沙法日漸強大，在猶大建造營寨和積貨城。
17:13 他在猶大城邑中有許多工程，又在耶路撒冷有戰士，就是大能的勇士。
17:14 他們的數目，按著宗族，記在下面：猶大族的千夫長押拿為首率領大能的勇士─三十萬；
17:15 其次是，千夫長約哈難率領大能的勇士─二十八萬；
17:16 其次是，細基利的兒子亞瑪斯雅〈他為耶和華犧牲自己〉率領大能的勇士─二十萬。
17:17 便雅憫族，是大能的勇士以利雅大率領拿弓箭和盾牌的─二十萬；
17:18 其次是，約薩拔率領預備打仗的─十八萬。
17:19 這都是伺候王的，還有王在猶大全地堅固城所安置的不在其內。

 

ehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. ² He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals ⁴ but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. ⁵ The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. ⁶ His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. ⁸ With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.

¹² Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah ¹³ and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Their enrollment by families was as follows:

From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000:

Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;

¹⁵ next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;

¹⁶ next, Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered himself for the service of the Lord, with 200,000.

¹⁷ From Benjamin:

Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields;

¹⁸ next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle.

¹⁹ These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

 

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    亞撒的兒子約沙法接續他作王，敬畏上帝！所以，上帝繼續賜福於猶大，使猶大繼續強盛。

 

    這也提醒今日教會，要敬畏上帝，上帝才會大大使用教會，使教會成為萬民之福！正如保羅所說：「上帝能照著運行在我們心裡的大力充充足足地成就一切，超過我們所求所想的。但願他在教會中，並在基督耶穌裡，得著榮耀，直到世世代代，永永遠遠。阿們！」(以弗所書3:20-21)