Pārmetums Jehošāfātam
1 Jūdas ķēniņš Jehošāfāts sveiks un vesels atgriezās savā namā Jeruzālemē. 2 Redzētājs Jehus, Hānānī dēls, devās viņu satikt un sacīja ķēniņam Jehošāfātam: “Vai bija jāpalīdz ļaundarim un jāmīl Kunga ienīstais?! Tāpēc pār tevi nāk Kunga dusmas! 3 Tomēr tev ir arī labi darbi – tu izsvēpēji no zemes ašēras un no visas sirds sekoji Dievam!”
Jehošāfāta jaunievedumi
4 Jehošāfāts dzīvoja Jeruzālemē. Viņš atkal devās pie ļaudīm no Bēršebas līdz Efraima kalniem, lai pievērstu tos Kungam, viņu tēvu Dievam. 5 Viņš iecēla zemē soģus visās Jūdas nocietinātajās pilsētās 6 un sacīja viņiem: “Apdomājiet, kā jūs to darāt, jo jūsu tiesa nāk nevis no cilvēka, bet no Kunga, kurš ir ar jums, kad pasludināt spriedumu! 7 Tad nu bīstieties Kunga, iztiesājiet rūpīgi, jo Kungs, mūsu Dievs, ir nemaldīgs, nenostājas nevienā pusē un ir neuzpērkams!” 8 Arī Jeruzālemē Jehošāfāts iecēla par Kunga tiesnešiem un strīdu izšķīrējiem levītus, priesterus un Israēla tēvu namu galvenos. Un tie dzīvoja Jeruzālemē. 9 Viņš tiem piekodināja: “Visu dariet tikai Kunga bijībā, patiesībā un no visas sirds! 10 Katrā strīdā, ar ko pie jums vēršas jūsu tuvākie, kas dzīvo jūsu pilsētās, – par asins izliešanu vai bauslību, pavēlēm, likumiem vai tiesām –, pamāciet tos, lai jūs nebūtu vainīgi Kunga priekšā un jūsu tuvākie nedusmotos uz jums. Dariet tā, un jums nebūs vainas! 11 Redzi, augstais priesteris Amarjāhu pārzinās visas Kunga lietas, bet Zebadjāhu, Ismaēla dēls, Jūdas cilts vadonis, visas ķēniņa lietas, un ar jums būs levītu vadītāji. Esiet stipri un rīkojieties – Kungs būs kopā ar tiem, kas dara labu!”
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!”
