Chapter 20

[] Kai meta tauta hlqon kata tou Iwsafat oi uioi Mwab kai oi uioi Ammwn kai met' autwn alloi ektoV twn Ammwnitwn, dia na polemhswsi.

Kai hlqon kai aphggeilan proV ton Iwsafat, legonteV, Mega plhqoV ercetai enantion sou ek tou peran thV qalasshV, ek thV SuriaV× kai idou, einai en Asaswn-qamar, htiV einai En-gaddi.

Kai efobhqh o Iwsafat kai edoqh eiV to na ekzhth ton Kurion, kai ekhruxe nhsteian dia pantoV tou Iouda.

Kai sunhcqhsan oi andreV Iouda, dia na zhthswsi bohqeian para Kuriou× ek paswn eti twn polewn Iouda hlqon dia na zhthswsi ton Kurion.

Kai estaqh o Iwsafat en th sunaxei tou Iouda kai thV Ierousalhm, en tw oikw tou Kuriou, kata proswpon thV neaV aulhV,

kai eipe, Kurie Qee twn paterwn hmwn, den eisai su o QeoV o en tw ouranw; kai den eisai su o kurieuwn epi panta ta basileia twn eqnwn, kai den einai en th ceiri sou h dunamiV kai h iscuV, kai oudeiV dunatai na antistaqh eiV se;

Den eisai su o QeoV hmwn, o ekdiwxaV touV katoikouV thV ghV tauthV emprosqen tou laou sou Israhl, kai douV authn eiV to sperma tou Abraam tou agaphtou sou eiV ton aiwna;

Kai katwkhsan en auth kai wkodomhsan eiV se agiasthrion en auth dia to onoma sou, legonteV,

Ean, otan epelqh ef' hmaV kakon, romfaia, krisiV h qanatikon h peina, staqwmen emprosqen tou oikou toutou kai enwpion sou, dioti to onoma sou einai en tw oikw toutw, kai bohswmen proV se en th qliyei hmwn, tote qeleiV akousei kai swsei.

Kai twra, idou, oi uioi Ammwn kai Mwab kai oi apo tou orouV Sheir, proV touV opoiouV den afhkaV ton Israhl na upagh, ote hrconto ek ghV Aiguptou, all' exeklinan ap' autwn kai den exwloqreusan autouV,

kai idou, pwV antameibousin hmaV, ercomenoi na ekbalwsin hmaV apo thV klhronomiaV sou, thn opoian edwkaV eiV hmaV na klhronomhswmen.

Qee hmwn, den qeleiV krinei autouV; dioti den uparcei eiV hmaV dunamiV dia na antistaqwmen eiV touto to mega plhqoV, to opoion ercetai ef' hmaV, kai den exeuromen ti na kamwmen× all' epi se einai oi ofqalmoi hmwn.

Kai istato paV o IoudaV enwpion tou Kuriou me ta brefh autwn, taV gunaikaV autwn kai touV uiouV autwn.

[] Tote hlqe Pneuma Kuriou epi Iaazihl ton uion tou Zacariou, uiou tou Benaia, uiou tou Ieihl, uiou tou Matqaniou tou Leuitou, ek twn uiwn tou Asaf, en tw mesw thV sunaxewV.

kai eipe, Akousate, paV o IoudaV kai oi katoikounteV Ierousalhm, kai su basileu Iwsafat× outw legei KurioV proV umaV× Mh fobeisqe seiV mhde ptohqhte apo proswpou toutou tou megalou plhqouV× dioti h mach den einai umwn, alla tou Qeou×

katabhte aurion enantion autwn× idou, anabainousi dia thV anabasewV SiV× kai qelete eurei autouV en tw akrw tou ceimarrou, emprosqen thV erhmou Ierouhl×

den qelete polemhsei seiV en tauth th mach× parousiasqhte, sthte kai idete thn meq' umwn swthrian tou Kuriou, Iouda kai Ierousalhm× mh fobeisqe mhde ptohqhte× aurion exelqete enantion autwn× kai o KurioV meq' umwn.

Kai ekuyen o Iwsafat epi proswpon eiV thn ghn× kai paV o IoudaV kai oi katoikounteV thn Ierousalhm epeson enwpion tou Kuriou, proskunounteV ton Kurion.

Kai eshkwqhsan oi Leuitai, ek twn uiwn twn Kaaqitwn kai ek twn uiwn twn Koritwn, dia na umnhswsi Kurion ton Qeon tou Israhl en fwnh uywmenh sfodra.

[] Kai exegerqenteV to prwi× exhlqon proV thn erhmon Qekoue× kai ote exhlqon, estaqh o Iwsafat kai eipen, Akousate mou, Iouda kai oi katoikounteV thn Ierousalhm× pisteusate eiV Kurion ton Qeon umwn, kai qelete sterewqh× pisteusate touV profhtaV autou kai qelete euodwqh.

Kai sumbouleuqeiV meta tou laou, dietaxe yaltwdouV dia na yallwsin eiV ton Kurion kai na umnwsi thn megaloprepeian thV agiothtoV autou, exelqonteV emprosqen tou strateumatoV, kai na legwsi, Doxologeite ton Kurion, dioti to eleoV autou menei eiV ton aiwna.

Kai ote hrcisan na yallwsi kai na umnwsin, o KurioV esthsen enedraV enantion twn uiwn Ammwn, Mwab kai twn ek tou orouV Sheir, twn elqontwn kata tou Iouda× kai ektuphqhsan.

Dioti eshkwqhsan oi uioi Ammwn kai Mwab kata twn katoikwn tou orouV Sheir, dia na exoloqreuswsi kai na exaleiywsin autouV× kai afou sunetelesan touV katoikouV tou Sheir ebohqhsan allhlouV dia na exoloqreuqwsin.

Elqwn de o IoudaV eiV thn skopian thV erhmou, anebleye proV to plhqoV, kai idou, hsan nekra swmata peptwkota kata ghV, kai oudeiV dieswqh.

Kai ote hlqon o Iwsafat kai o laoV autou dia na lafuragwghswsin autouV, eurhkan metaxu twn nekrwn swmatwn autwn kai plouth en afqonia kai polutimon aposkeuhn, kai elabon eiV eautouV tosauta, wste den hdunanto na metaferwsin auta× kai estaqhsan treiV hmeraV lafuragwgounteV, dioti ta lafura hsan polla.

Kai thn tetarthn hmeran sunhcqhsan en th koiladi thV EulogiaV× dioti ekei euloghsan ton Kurion× dia touto wnomasqh to onoma tou topou ekeinou KoilaV EulogiaV ewV thV hmeraV tauthV.

Tote panteV oi andreV Iouda kai thV Ierousalhm kai o Iwsafat epi kefalhV autwn, ekinhsan dia na epistreywsin eiV Ierousalhm en eufrosunh× dioti eufranen autouV o KurioV apo twn ecqrwn autwn.

Kai hlqon eiV Ierousalhm en yalthrioiV kai kiqaraiV kai salpigxi, proV ton oikon tou Kuriou.

Kai epepese foboV Qeou epi panta ta basileia twn topwn ekeinwn; ote hkousan eti o KurioV epolemhsen enantion twn ecqrwn tou Israhl.

Kai hsucasen h basileia tou Iwsafat× dioti o QeoV autou edwken eiV auton anapausin kukloqen.

[] Kai ebasileusen o Iwsafat epi ton Ioudan× triakonta pente etwn hlikiaV hto ote ebasileuse, kai ebasileusen eikosipente eth en Ierousalhm× to de onoma thV mhtroV autou hto Azouba qugathr tou Silei.

Kai periepathsen en th odw Asa tou patroV autou kai den exeklinen ap' authV, prattwn to euqeV enwpion tou Kuriou.

Oi uyhloi omwV topoi den afhreqhsan× dioti o laoV den eicon eti kateuqunei taV kardiaV autwn proV ton Qeon twn paterwn autwn.

Ai de loipai praxeiV tou Iwsafat, ai prwtai kai ai escatai, idou, einai gegrammenai en toiV logoiV tou Ihou uiou tou Anani, oitineV kategrafhsan en tw bibliw twn basilewn tou Israhl.

Meta de tauta hnwqh o Iwsafat o basileuV tou Iouda meta tou Ocoziou basilewV tou Israhl, ostiV epraxe lian asebwV.

Hnwqh de met' autou, dia na kamwsi ploia, ta opoia na pleuswsin eiV QarseiV× kai ekamon ta ploia en Esiwn-gaber.

Tote Eliezer o uioV tou Dwdana apo Marhsa proefhteusen enantion tou Iwsafat, legwn, Epeidh hnwqhV meta tou Ocoziou, o KurioV eqrause ta erga sou. Kai sunetribhsan ta ploia kai den hdunhqhsan na upagwsin eiV QarseiV.