Nlebesambeli unotjemela Jehoshafati
1 Jehoshafati mambo we Juda kabgwilila ku nzi uwe ku Jerusalema nge mbakiso. 2 Koga nlebesambeli Jehu nkololo wa Hanani kayenda kunonshanganidza ngono kadwa Mambo Jehoshafati kati, “Apa kwakafanila kubhatsha banothama mbipo ne kuda ibabo banobenga Yahwe kene? Ngekwa ikoku bushongola gwa Yahwe gowodelukila mukuli. 3 Nenguba kwakajalo kuna bubuya gunowang'wa mu kuli ngoti wakakolomodza Ashera mu shango ngono ukazwimisila kushingila Yahwe.”
Jehoshafati unoshanduka
4 Nenguba Jehoshafati akabe egala mu Jerusalema wakabe eyenda ku bathu kudwa mu Bheerisheba kunoti ku shango ye matombo ye Ifureimi ebashandusila kuna Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu babo. 5 Wakabiga basumikilisi mu mizi mikulu ye matizhilo yose imu Juda, 6 ngono kalaya basumikilisi eti, “Mube ne njele kwazo muna tjamunothama, muzibe kuti amutosumikilisila nthu koga mosumikilisila Yahwe, Yahwe ba namwi mukusumikilisa kwenyu. 7 Ndizo ngwenu kutja Yahwe ngakube mu muli, ibeni nge njele muna tjamunothama ngobe akuna kulelekesa ndulamo muna Yahwe Ndzimu wedu kene kulelekela ntome kene kutola zwizwimba nlomo.”
8 Pezhugwi kwa ipapo Jehoshafati wakabiga Balevi ne bapirisiti bamwe ne misholo ye misha ye Iziraela mu Jerusalema kuti bape busumikilisi bumo gwa Yahwe neku pedzisa ndebo. Bakabe begala ku Jerusalema. 9 Ngono wakabalaya eti, “Mushinge ikoko ngotja Yahwe ne kugalikabgwe nenge mimoyo yenyu yose. 10 Ndebo imwe ne imwe inozhisiwa kumuli idwa ku bathu bakanyi kwenyu bakabaka ku mizi yabo ipoga, ingabe ili ye kubulaya kene ye salondolodza nlayo makafanila kuti mu batjenjedze kuti basidwe bezwilonga mu nlandu mbeli kwa Yahwe kungathama kuti bushongola gwa Yahwe gudelukile mu muli ne mu bathu bakanyi kwenyu. Muthame saikoko ndizo amungatilikwe nlandu. 11 Ngono bonani, Amariya mpirisiti nkulu unamwi muna zose zwa Yahwe na Zebadiya nkololo wa Ishimaele nlauli we Juda banamwi muna zose zwa mambo, Balevi banowobepo kubona kuti zose zwe lubazhe zwadumigwana zoshingikadziwa. Shingani makasima, atshene Yahwe bangabe ne banoshinga ndulamo!”
1 Jehoshaphat returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. 2 But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said:
By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the Lord. Now the Lord God is angry with you! 3 But not everything about you is bad. You destroyed the sacred poles used in worshiping the goddess Asherah—that shows you have tried to obey the Lord.
Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges To Settle Cases
4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he often traveled through his kingdom, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north. He talked with the people and convinced them to turn back to the Lord God and worship him, just as their ancestors had done.
5 He assigned judges to each of the fortified cities in Judah 6 and told them:
Be careful when you make your decisions in court, because you are judging by the Lord's standards and not by human standards, and he will know what you decide. 7 So do your work in honor of him and know that he won't allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes.
8 Jehoshaphat also chose some Levites, some priests, and some of the family leaders, and he appointed them to serve as judges in Jerusalem. 9 He told them:
Faithfully serve the Lord! 10 The people of Judah will bring you legal cases that involve every type of crime, including murder. You must settle these cases and warn the people to stop sinning against the Lord, so that he won't get angry and punish Judah. Remember, if you follow these instructions, you won't be held responsible for anything that happens.
11 Amariah the high priest will have the final say in any religious case. And Zebadiah, the leader of the Judah tribe, will have the final say in all other cases. The rest of the Levites will serve as your assistants. Be brave, and I pray that the Lord will help you do right.