A Prophet Reprimands Jehoshaphat
1 King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. 2 A prophet, Jehu son of Hanani, went to meet the king and said to him, “Do you think it is right to help those who are wicked and to take the side of those who hate the Lord? What you have done has brought the Lord's anger on you. 3 But even so, there is some good in you. You have removed all the symbols of the goddess Asherah which people worshiped, and you have tried to follow God's will.”
Jehoshaphat's Reforms
4 Even though King Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, he traveled regularly among the people, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north, in order to call the people back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges in each of the fortified cities of Judah 6 and instructed them: “Be careful in pronouncing judgment; you are not acting on human authority, but on the authority of the Lord, and he is with you when you pass sentence. 7 Honor the Lord and act carefully, because the Lord our God does not tolerate fraud or partiality or the taking of bribes.”
8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed Levites, priests, and some of the leading citizens as judges in cases involving a violation of the Law of the Lord or legal disputes between inhabitants of the city. 9 He gave them the following instructions: “You must perform your duties in reverence for the Lord, faithfully obeying him in everything you do. 10 Whenever your fellow citizens from any of the cities bring before you a case of homicide or any other violation of a law or commandment, you must instruct them carefully how to conduct themselves during the trial, so that they do not become guilty of sinning against the Lord. Unless you do, you and your fellow citizens will feel the force of the Lord's anger. But if you do your duty, you will not be guilty. 11 Amariah the High Priest will have final authority in all religious cases, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, governor of Judah, will have final authority in all civil cases. The Levites have the responsibility of seeing that the decisions of the courts are carried out. Be courageous and carry out these instructions, and may the Lord be on the side of the 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.”
