| 編年紀下 |
2 Chronicles |
| 1希則克雅派人到全以色列和猶大，且也寫了封公函給厄弗辣因和默納協，叫他們來耶路撒冷上主的殿內，向上主以色列的天主舉行逾越節， |
1Hezekiah sent a message to all Israel and Judah, and even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh saying that they should come to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in honor of the LORD, the God of Israel. |
| 2因為君王與首領和耶路撒冷會眾已商妥，在二月舉行逾越節。 |
2The king, his princes, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem had agreed to celebrate the Passover during the second month, |
| 3他們不能如期舉行的原因，是因為自潔的司祭尚不敷用，百姓又尚未齊集在耶路撒冷。 |
3for they could not celebrate it at the time of the restoration: the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient numbers, and the people were not gathered at Jerusalem. |
| 4君王和全會眾都認為這樣做很對， |
4When this proposal had been approved by the king and the entire assembly, |
| 5遂下令通告全以色列，從貝爾舍巴直到丹，都來耶路撒冷，向上主以色列的天主舉行逾越節，因為人很久沒有照章舉行這節了。 |
5they issued a decree to be proclaimed throughout all Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan, that everyone should come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover in honor of the LORD, the God of Israel; for not many had kept it in the manner prescribed. |
| 6使者遂帶着君王和首領的公函，走遍全以色列和猶大，照君王的吩咐，宣佈說：「以色列的子民，你們應當轉向上主，亞巴郎、依撒格和以色列的天主，好使他轉向你們，這些擺脫亞述王權下的遺民。 |
6Accordingly the couriers, with the letters written by the king and his princes, traversed all Israel and Judah, and at the king's command they said: "Israelites, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you, the remnant left from the hands of the Assyrian kings. |
| 7你們不可像你們的祖先和弟兄一樣，因為他們背叛了上主，他們祖先的天主，上主遂叫他們成了驚駭的對象，有如你們親眼所見的。 |
7Be not like your fathers and your brethren who proved faithless to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he delivered them over to desolation, as you yourselves now see. |
| 8現在，你們再別頸硬，如同你們祖先一樣，反應投奔上主，進入他永遠祝聖的居所，奉事上主你們的天主，使他的震怒轉離你們。 |
8Be not obstinate, as your fathers were; extend your hands to the LORD and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD, your God, that he may turn away his burning anger from you. |
| 9如果你們轉向上主你們的天主，你們的弟兄子女，在擄掠他們的人面前必會蒙受憐憫，會再回到這地；因為上主你們的天主是慈悲的，是仁愛的；如果你們轉向他，他決不會轉面不顧你們。」 |
9For when you return to the LORD, your brethren and your children will find mercy with their captors and return to this land; for merciful and compassionate is the LORD, your God, and he will not turn away his face from you if you return to him." |
| 10使者由這城到那城，走遍了厄弗辣因和默納協各地，直到則步隆；但是，那裏的人卻嘲笑侮辱他們。 |
10So the couriers passed from city to city in the land of Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as Zebulun, but they were derided and scoffed at. |
| 11可是，有些阿協爾、默納協和則步隆人自謙自卑，來到耶路撒冷。 |
11Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. |
| 12天主的手也在猶大行事，使民眾一心遵從君王和首領，照上主的話所出的命令。 |
12In Judah, however, the power of God brought it about that the people were of one mind to carry out the command of the king and the princes in accordance with the word of the LORD. |
| 13二月，有很多人民聚集在耶路撒冷，舉行無酵節，實在是一個大盛會。 |
13Thus many people gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month; it was a very great assembly. |
| 14民眾起來，將耶路撒冷所有的丘壇拆毀，將所有焚香的器具拿去，丟在克德龍溪裏。 |
14They proceeded to take down the altars that were in Jerusalem; also they removed all the altars of incense and cast them into the Kidron Valley. |
| 15二月十四日宰殺了逾越節羔羊；司祭和肋未人自覺慚愧，便聖潔自己，好能在上主殿內奉獻全燔祭。 |
15They slaughtered the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites, touched with shame, sanctified themselves and brought holocausts into the house of the LORD. |
| 16他們都按天主僕人梅瑟的法律，各自立在自己的地方，司祭由肋未人手中取過血來，灑在祭壇上。 |
16They stood in the places prescribed for them according to the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood given them by the Levites; |
| 17因為會眾中有許多人尚未自潔，肋未人便為所有不潔的人，宰殺逾越節的羔羊，好奉獻給上主。 |
17for many in the assembly had not sanctified themselves, and the Levites were in charge of slaughtering the Passover victims for all who were unclean and therefore could not consecrate them to the LORD. |
| 18實在，有許多人，有許多來自厄弗辣因，默納協、依撒加爾和則步隆的人，沒有自潔，就吃了逾越節羔羊，竟沒有遵守明文的規定；為此，希則克雅為他們祈禱說： |
18The greater part of the people, in fact, chiefly from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves. Nevertheless they ate the Passover, contrary to the prescription; for Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, grant pardon to |
| 19「凡誠心尋求天主，上主，他們祖先的天主的人，雖然沒有依照聖所的潔禮自潔，願良善的上主予以寬恕！」 |
19everyone who has resolved to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, though he be not clean as holiness requires." |
| 20上主垂允了希則克雅，寬恕了百姓。 |
20The LORD heard Hezekiah and spared the people. |
| 21在耶路撒冷的以色列子民，極其歡樂，七天舉行了無酵節；肋未人和司祭們，天天讚頌上主，極力讚頌上主。 |
21Thus the Israelites who were in Jerusalem celebrated the feast of Unleavened Bread with great rejoicing for seven days, and the Levites and the priests sang the praises of the LORD day after day with all their strength. |
| 22由於所有的肋未人慇勤服事上主，希則克雅便慰勞他們。七天之久，眾人吃了節宴，獻了和平祭，稱謝了上主，他們祖先的天主。 |
22Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had shown themselves well skilled in the service of the LORD. And when they had completed the seven days of festival, slaying peace offerings and singing praises to the LORD, the God of their fathers, |
| 23以後，全會眾議定，再舉行七天，於是歡樂地又舉行了七天， |
23the whole assembly agreed to celebrate another seven days. With joy, therefore, they continued the festivity seven days longer. |
| 24因為猶大王希則克雅送給了會眾一千頭牛犢，七千隻綿羊；首領們也送給了會眾一千頭牛犢，一萬隻綿羊﹔且有許多司祭已行了自潔禮。 |
24King Hezekiah of Judah had contributed a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep to the assembly, and the princes had contributed to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep. The priests sanctified themselves in great numbers, |
| 25猶大全會眾、司祭和肋未人，來自以色列的全會眾，以及由以色列地來的，或僑居在猶大的人，都非常高興。 |
25and the whole assembly of Judah rejoiced, together with the priests and Levites and the rest of the assembly that had come from Israel, as well as the sojourners from the land of Israel and those that lived in Judah. |
| 26歡樂瀰漫了耶路撒冷，自以色列王達味的兒子撒羅滿以來，耶路撒冷從未有過這樣大的喜慶。 |
26There was great rejoicing in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, there had not been the like in the city. |
| 27肋未人司祭起來為民眾祝福，他們的聲音承蒙垂聽，他們的祈禱達於他天上的神聖居所。 |
27Then the levitical priests rose and blessed the people; their voice was heard and their prayer reached heaven, God's holy dwelling. |
