2 Chronicles 20
1 And it was after this they came [the] people of Moab and [the] people of Ammon and with them - some of the Ammonites on Jehoshaphat for battle.
Later [armies from] Moab and Ammon and some soldiers from [the] Meun [area in Edom] came [to fight] against Jehoshaphat’s [army].
2 And people came and they told to Jehoshaphat saying [is] coming on you a multitude great from [the] other side of the sea from Aram and there they [are] in Hazezon Tamar it [is] En Gedi.
Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is coming to attack your army. They are coming from [the] Edom [region], from the eastern side of the [Dead] Sea. They have already come to Hazazon-Tamar!” Another name for that place is En-Gedi.
3 And he was afraid and he gave Jehoshaphat face his to seek Yahweh and he proclaimed a fast over all Judah.
Jehoshaphat became very afraid, so he decided to ask Yahweh [what he should do]. He also proclaimed that all [the people of] Judah should fast.
4 And they gathered Judah to seek from Yahweh also from all [the] cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh.
The people of Judah gathered together to request Yahweh to help them. They came [to Jerusalem] from every town in Judah to seek help from Yahweh.
5 And he stood Jehoshaphat in [the] assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in [the] house of Yahweh before the courtyard new.
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in front of the people of Judah in front of the new courtyard of the temple,
6 And he said O Yahweh [the] God of ancestors our ¿ not [are] you he God in the heavens and you [are] ruler over all [the] kingdoms of the nations and [are] in hand your power and strength and there not [is] with you to hold ground.
and he prayed this: “Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors belonged to, you are surely the God who [rules from] heaven. You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. You have great power, and no one can successfully oppose you.
7 ¿ Not - you O God our did you dispossess [the] inhabitants of the land this from to before people your Israel and you gave it to [the] offspring of Abraham friend your for ever.
Our God, you expelled the people who lived in this land while your Israeli people advanced, and you certainly gave it to us who are descendants of your friend Abraham, to belong to us forever.
8 And they have dwelt in it and they have built for you - in it a sanctuary for name your saying.
We have lived here and have built a temple where we, your people, worship you. We said,
9 If it will come on us calamity sword judgment and pestilence and famine we will stand before the house this and before you for name your [is] in the house this so we may cry out to you from distress our so you may hear and you may save.
'If we experience disasters, either from our enemies attacking us or from you punishing us, or if we experience a plague or a famine, we will stand in your presence in front of this temple that is built to honor you, and we will cry out to you when we are distressed/suffering, and you will hear us and will rescue us.'
10 And therefore here! [the] people of Ammon and Moab and [the] mountain of Seir which not you permitted to Israel to go in them when came they from [the] land of Egypt for they turned aside from on them and not they destroyed them.
You would not allow our Israeli ancestors to enter the countries of Ammon and Moab and Edom when they were traveling from Egypt [to Canaan]. So our ancestors turned away from those areas and did not attack the people there and did not destroy them. But now they are coming here [to attack us].
11 And here! they [are] repaying to us by coming to drive out us from possession your which you caused to possess us.
[We did not destroy them. But now] look at how they are repaying us by trying to expel us from the land that you gave to our ancestors to belong to them [and their descendants forever]
12 O God our ¿ not will you enter into judgment on them for there not in us [is] strength before the multitude great this which is coming on us and we not we know what? will we do for [are] on you eyes our.
So, our God, please punish them, because we do not have enough power to resist/defeat this huge army that is coming to attack us. We do not know what to do. But we are pleading for you to help us.”
13 (And all *LAB(h)*) Judah [were] standing before Yahweh also little one[s] their wives their and children their.
All the men of Judah and their wives and children and babies were standing there in the presence of Yahweh [while Jehoshaphat prayed].
14 And Jahaziel [the] son of Zechariah [the] son of Benaiah [the] son of Jeiel [the] son of Mattaniah the Levite one of [the] descendants of Asaph it was on him [the] spirit of Yahweh in [the] midst of the assembly.
Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, who was the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Benaiah, who was the son of Jeiel, who was the son of Mattaniah. He was a descendant of Levi and a descendant of Asaph. He stood up in front of the whole group that was gathered there,
15 And he said pay attention O all Judah and [the] inhabitants of Jerusalem and the king Jehoshaphat thus he says Yahweh to you O you may not you be afraid and may not you be dismayed because of the multitude great this for not [belongs] to you the battle for to God.
and said, “King Jehoshaphat and all you who live in Jerusalem and in other places in Judah, listen! This is what Yahweh says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this huge army [that is coming to attack you], because it is not you who [will win] this battle. It is God [who will win it].
16 Tomorrow go down on them there they [will be] coming up on [the] ascent of Ziz and you will find them at [the] end of the wadi [the] face of [the] wilderness of Jeruel.
Tomorrow march down toward them. They will be climbing up through Ziz Pass [north of En-Gedi]. You will meet them at the end of the gorge near the Jeruel Desert.
17 Not [belongs] to you to fight in this [battle] take your stand stand and see [the] victory of Yahweh with you O Judah and Jerusalem may not you be afraid and may not you be dismayed tomorrow go out before them and Yahweh [will be] with you.
But you will not need to fight this battle. You soldiers from Jerusalem and other places in Judah, just take your positions, and then stand still and watch [what will happen]. You will see Yahweh rescue you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. March toward them tomorrow, and Yahweh will be with you.’”
18 And he bowed low Jehoshaphat face [the] ground towards and all Judah and [the] inhabitants of Jerusalem they fell down before Yahweh to bow down to Yahweh.
Jehoshaphat prostrated himself with his face touching the ground, and all the people of Jerusalem and other places in Judah [who were there] knelt down to worship Yahweh.
19 And they stood the Levites of [the] descendants of the Kohathites and of [the] descendants of the Korahites to praise Yahweh [the] God of Israel with a voice great upwards.
Then some descendants of Levi who were descendants of both Kohath and Korah stood up and loudly praised Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [belonged to].
20 And they rose early in the morning and they went out to [the] wilderness of Tekoa and when went out they he stood Jehoshaphat and he said listen to me O Judah and [the] inhabitants of Jerusalem trust in Yahweh God your so you may be established trust in prophets his and succeed.
Early the next morning the army left to go to the desert near Tekoa [town]. While they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stood up and said to the people, “You people of Jerusalem and other places in Judah, listen to me! Trust in Yahweh our God; if you do that, you will be strong. Trust in [what] his prophets [have said]; if you do that, you will be successful.”
21 And he consulted the people and he appointed [those who] sang to Yahweh and [those who] praised to adornment of holiness when went out before the [man] equipped and saying give thanks to Yahweh for [is] for ever covenant loyalty his.
Then, after consulting with some of the people, he appointed some men to go in front of the army, singing to Yahweh and praising him because of his being holy and wonderful. They were singing, “Thank Yahweh, because he faithfully loves us forever.”
22 And at [the] time [when] they began with a shout of joy and praise he set Yahweh - ambushers on [the] people of Ammon Moab and [the] mountain of Seir who were coming to Judah and they were defeated.
When they began to sing and praise Yahweh, Yahweh caused the soldiers from Ammon and Moab and Edom who were invading Judah to panic, with the result that they were defeated.
23 And they rose up [the] people of Ammon and Moab on [the] inhabitants of [the] mountain of Seir to totally destroy [them] and to destroy [them] and just as had finished they with [the] inhabitants of Seir they helped each on neighbor his to destruction.
The soldiers from Ammon and Moab started to fight against the soldiers from Edom, and they completely annihilated the soldiers from Edom. After they finished slaughtering the men from Edom, they started to attack each other.
24 And Judah it came to the watchtower of the wilderness and they turned to the multitude and there they [were] corpses lying [the] ground towards and there not [was] an escaped remnant.
When the soldiers from Judah came to the place where they could look down over the desert, they looked toward that huge army [of their enemies], and they saw only corpses lying on the ground. No one had survived.
25 And he went Jehoshaphat and people his to plunder booty their and they found among them to abundance and property and corpses and articles of precious things and they plundered for themselves to there not [was] carrying and they were days three plundering the booty for [was] much it.
So Jehoshaphat and his soldiers went to take the possessions of their enemies, and they saw that there was a lot of equipment and clothing and other valuable things; there was more than they could carry away. There were very many things, with the result that it took three days for them to collect it all.
26 And on the day fourth they assembled to [the] valley of Berachah for there they blessed Yahweh there-fore people have called [the] name of the place that [the] valley of Berachah until this day.
The following day they gathered in Beracah Valley and praised Yahweh there. That is why that valley is still called Beracah, [which means praise.]
27 And they turned back every man of Judah and Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat at head their to return to Jerusalem with joy for he had made rejoice them Yahweh from enemies their.
Then while Jehoshaphat led them, all the soldiers who were from Jerusalem and other places in Judah returned to Jerusalem. They were happy because Yahweh had enabled them to defeat their enemies.
28 And they came Jerusalem with lyres and with harps and with trumpets to [the] house of Yahweh.
When they arrived at Jerusalem, they went to the temple, [playing] harps and lutes and trumpets.
29 And it was [the] dread of God on all [the] kingdoms of the lands when heard they that he had fought Yahweh with [the] enemies of Israel.
People in the kingdoms of the nearby countries became very afraid when they heard how Yahweh had fought against the enemies of the Israelis.
30 And it was at peace [the] kingdom of Jehoshaphat and he had given rest to him God his from round about.
Then there was peace in the kingdom that was ruled by Jehoshaphat, because God had caused the surrounding nations not to attack it.
31 And he reigned Jehoshaphat over Judah a son of thirty and five year[s] when became king he and twenty and five year[s] he reigned in Jerusalem and [the] name of mother his [was] Azubah [the] daughter of Shilhi.
Jehoshaphat continued to rule Judah. He was 35 years old when he became king of Judah, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in [the] way of father his Asa and not he turned aside from it to do the right in [the] eyes of Yahweh.
He did things that were pleasing to Yahweh, like his father Asa had done, and he did not stop doing those things.
33 Only the high places not they were removed and still the people not they directed heart their to [the] God of ancestors their.
But he did not get rid of the shrines on the hilltops, and many of the people still did not faithfully do what the God whom their ancestors belonged to wanted.
34 And [the] rest of [the] matters of Jehoshaphat former and latter there they [are] written in [the] words of Jehu [the] son of Hanani which it was recorded on [the] scroll of [the] kings of Israel.
A record of the other things that Jehoshaphat did while he ruled, from when he began to rule until he died, is in the scrolls written by [the prophet] Jehu, the son of Hanani. They are also in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel.
35 And after this he made an alliance Jehoshaphat [the] king of Judah with Ahaziah [the] king of Israel he he acted wickedly to do.
During his reign, Jehoshaphat made a treaty with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, who was a very wicked king.
36 And he allied himself with him to make ships to go Tarshish and they made ships in Ezion Geber.
They agreed that their workers would build a fleet of ships to use to buy and sell [things with other countries]. After those ships were built at Ezion-Geber [on the Gulf of Aqaba],
37 And he prophesied Eliezer [the] son of Dodavahu from Mareshah on Jehoshaphat saying as making alliance you with Ahaziah he will break Yahweh works your and they were broken ships and not they retained to go to Tarshish.
Eliezer the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah [city] warned Jehoshaphat. He said, “You have made an alliance with Ahaziah, [who is a wicked king]. Therefore, Yahweh will destroy the ships that your workers have made.” And the ships were wrecked, and were not able to sail to other countries.
