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.
Omuprofete Jehu ma tena Josafat
1 Josafat, ombara ya Juda, wa kotoka kondjuwo ye youhona mOjerusalem nokuhinatjipo. 2 Omuprofete Jehu, omuzandu wa Hanani, wa kahakaena nombara na tja ku yo: “Mo ripura kutja osemba okuvatera ovanauvi, nokusuvera imba mbe tonda Muhona are? Mokutjita nao ove we riyetere omazenge wa Muhona kombanda yoye. 3 Nungwari nangarire nao, mu noviwa mbi wa tjita. Ove wa isa mo ovihenḓe avihe ovizere vyomukuru wotjisenginina oserekaze Asera ovandu kuyave rikotamene, nu wa kondja okukongorera ombango ya Ndjambi.”
Omarundururiro Josafat nga tjita
4 Josafat wa kara mOjerusalem; nungwari eye aa ryanga aruhe mokati kovandu okuza kOberseba komukuma wokeyuva kokumuho nga komukuro wehi rozondundu ra Efraim komukuma wokeyuva kokunene kutja e ve kotore ku Muhona, Ndjambi wooihe mukururume. 5 Eye wa zika ovapangure movihuro avihe vya Juda mbya zeuparisiwa, 6 ne ve rongo a tja: “Ṱakamiseye, tji mamu pangura; kamu nokupangura otja kouvara womundu, nungwari mamu pangura otja kouvara wa Muhona, neye u ri puna eṋe, tji mamu pangura. 7 Tireye Muhona, nu mu pangure nounongo, orondu Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, ka vanga omatiku poo okutara konḓengu yomundu poo okukambura otjisuta tjombopero.”
8 Josafat wa zika Ovalevi novapristeri noviuru vyomaṱunḓu mOjerusalem kutja ve rire ovapangure voviposa vyokuzunḓa Omatwako wa Muhona, novapangure vozombata zoviposa pokati kovature votjihuro. 9 Eye we ve rakiza nai: “Ungureye oviungura vyeṋu amu nondira ku Muhona, nouṱakame, nonḓuviro ku ye mu avihe mbi mamu tjiti. 10 Ovakweṋu mbu mwa tura pamwe movihuro ngamwa avihe, tji ve mu etere otjiposa tjokuzepa omundu poo tjokuzunḓa omatwako poo omazikamisiro, ve rongeye nawa moviposa mbi kutja ave ha tura ondjo komurungu wa Muhona. Tji mu hi nokutjita nao, eṋe novature ovakweṋu mamu munu ouzeu womazenge wa Muhona. Nungwari tji mamu ungura oviungura vyeṋu nouṱakame, kamu nokutura ondjo. 11 Amarja, Omupristeri Otjiuru, ma kara nousemba moviposa avihe vyokukatuka Omatwako wa Muhona nu Sebadja, omuzandu wa Ismael, ongooneya mehi ra Juda, ma kara nousemba noviposa avihe vyokukatuka omatwako wombara. Imba Ovalevi ombe notjiungura tjokumuna kutja omatyero wozombanguriro ye yenenisiwe. Panḓipareye, nu tjiteye omaraerero nga, nu Muhona nga kare komunda wa imba mbe tjita ousemba.”
