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ユダの王ヨシャパテ
1アサの子ヨシャパテが代わってユダの王となり、イスラエルと戦う準備を始めました。 2彼は、ユダの要塞化されたすべての町々をはじめ、国中のさまざまな他の場所、父アサ王が占領したエフライムの町々に守備隊を置きました。 3ヨシャパテは、彼の父祖のかつての正しい生き方にならって偶像を拝まなかったので、主は彼とともにいました。 4イスラエルの人々とは反対に、その父の神の教えどおりに生活したので、 5主は、ユダの王としてのヨシャパテの地位を確固たるものにしました。すべてのユダの人々が納税に協力したので、彼は人気が高まったばかりか、財産も増えました。 6王は高台の異教の祭壇を壊し、アシェラ像を取り除くなど、大胆に主の道を歩みました。
7-9その治世の第三年に、彼は国中に宗教教育を広める計画を実行に移しました。ベン・ハイル、オバデヤ、ゼカリヤ、ネタヌエル、ミカヤをはじめ政府の高官たちを、教師としてユダのすべての町々に派遣し、これにレビ人のシェマヤ、ネタヌヤ、ゼバデヤ、アサエル、シェミラモテ、ヨナタン、アドニヤ、トビヤ、トブ・アドニヤも同行しました。また祭司からは、エリシャマとヨラムも同行しました。彼らは、『主の律法の書』の写しを持ってユダのすべての町々を巡り、人々に聖書を教えました。
10その結果、回りのすべての国々が主を恐れるようになったので、ヨシャパテ王に戦いをしかける国は一つもありませんでした。 11ペリシテ人さえも贈り物と貢ぎ物を納め、アラビヤ人は雄羊七千七百頭、雄やぎ七千七百頭を献上しました。 12こうして、ヨシャパテ王はますます勢力を増し、国中に要塞の町や補給基地の町を建てました。
13公共事業を拡大し、首都エルサレムには、強力な軍隊を駐屯させました。 14-15三十万のユダ軍がアデナ将軍に率いられ、次の指揮官ヨハナンの下には二十八万の兵がいました。 16第三の指揮官であるジクリの子アマスヤは、とても信仰のあつい人で、二十万の兵を率いていました。 17ベニヤミンの部族からは、偉大な将軍エルヤダの率いる、弓と盾で武装した二十万の兵が加わりました。 18エルヤダに続く指揮官はエホザバデで、その下に十八万の兵がいました。 19以上は、ユダ全土の要塞化された町々に配置した軍隊とは別に、王がエルサレムに駐屯させていた軍隊です。
Jehoshaphat King of Judah
1Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa. Jehoshaphat became the next king after him. He made his kingdom strong in case Israel would attack him. 2He placed troops in all the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. He stationed some soldiers in Judah. He also put some in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat. That’s because he lived the way King David had lived. He didn’t ask for advice from the gods that were named Baal. 4Instead, Jehoshaphat obeyed the God of his father. He obeyed the Lord’s commands instead of the practices of Israel. 5The Lord made the kingdom secure under Jehoshaphat’s control. All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat. So he had great wealth and honor. 6His heart was committed to living the way the Lord wanted him to. He removed the high places from Judah. He also removed the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah.
7In the third year of his rule, he sent his officials to teach in the towns of Judah. The officials were Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah. 8Some Levites were with them. Their names were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah. Elishama and Jehoram, the priests, were also with them. 9They taught people all through Judah. They took the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went around to all the towns of Judah. And they taught the people.
10All the kingdoms of the lands around Judah became afraid of the Lord. So they didn’t go to war against Jehoshaphat. 11Some Philistines brought to Jehoshaphat the gifts and silver he required of them. The Arabs brought him their flocks. They brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.
12Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built forts in Judah. He also built cities in Judah where he could store things. 13He had large supplies in the towns of Judah. In Jerusalem he kept men who knew how to fight well. 14Here is a list of them, family by family.
From Judah there were commanders of groups of 1,000.
One of them was Adnah. He commanded 300,000 fighting men.
15Another was Jehohanan. He commanded 280,000.
16Another was Amasiah, the son of Zikri. Amasiah commanded 200,000. He had offered to serve the Lord.
17From Benjamin there were also commanders.
One of them was Eliada. He was a brave soldier. He commanded 200,000 men. They were armed with bows and shields.
18Another was Jehozabad. He commanded 180,000 men. They were prepared for battle.
19These were the men who served the king. He stationed some other men in the cities all through Judah. The cities had high walls around them.
