< 2 Chronicles 20 >

1 It came about after this, that the people of Moab and Ammon, and with them some Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to do battle.
After this the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them of the Ammonites, were gathered together to fight against Josaphat.
2 Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A large multitude is coming against you from beyond the Dead Sea, from Edom. See, they are in Hazezon Tamar,” that is, Engedi.
And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, and out of Syria, and behold they are in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.
3 Jehoshaphat became afraid and set himself to seek Yahweh. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
And Josaphat being seized with fear betook himself wholly to pray to the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Juda.
4 Judah gathered together to seek Yahweh; they came to seek Yahweh from all the cities of Judah.
And Juda gathered themselves together to pray to the Lord: and all came out of their cities to make supplication to him.
5 Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, at the house of Yahweh, in front of the new courtyard.
And Josaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Juda, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court,
6 He said, “Yahweh, the God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? Are you not the ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so no one is able to resist you.
And said: O Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and rulest over all the kingdoms and nations, in thy hand is strength and power, and no one can resist thee.
7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham?
Didst not thou our God kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
8 They lived in it and built you a holy place in it for your name, saying,
And they dwelt in it, and built in it a sanctuary to thy name, saying:
9 'If disaster comes on us—the sword, judgment, or disease, or famine—we will stand before this house, and before you (for your name is in this house), and we will cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear us and save us.'
If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in thy presence before this house, in which thy name is called upon: and we will cry to thee in our afflictions, and thou wilt hear, and save us.
10 See now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir whom you would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt; instead, Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.
Now therefore behold the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and mount Seir, through whose lands thou didst not allow Israel to pass, when they came out of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and slew them not,
11 See how they are rewarding us; they are coming to drive us out of your land that you have given us to inherit.
Do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession which thou hast delivered to us.
12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power against this great army that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
O our God, wilt thou not then judge them? as for us we have not strength enough, to be able to resist this multitude, which cometh violently upon us. But as we know not what to do, we can only turn our eyes to thee.
13 All Judah stood before Yahweh, with their little ones, wives, and children.
And all Juda stood before the Lord with their little ones, and their wives, and their children.
14 Then in the middle of the assembly, the Spirit of Yahweh came on Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, the Levite, one of the sons of Asaph.
And Jahaziel the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, was there, upon whom the spirit of the Lord came in the midst of the multitude,
15 Jahaziel said, “Listen, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what Yahweh says to you, 'Do not fear; do not be discouraged because of this great army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.
And he said: Attend ye, all Juda, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: Thus saith the Lord to you: Fear ye not, and be not dismayed at this multitude: for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 You must go down against them tomorrow. See, they are coming up by way of the pass of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
Tomorrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up by the ascent named Sis, and you shall find them at the head of the torrent, which is over against the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand in your positions, stand still, and see the rescue of Yahweh with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear nor be discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for Yahweh is with you.'”
It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand with confidence, and you shall see the help of the Lord over you, O Juda, and Jerusalem: fear ye not, nor be you dismayed: tomorrow you shall go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.
18 Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground. All Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping him.
Then Josaphat, and Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell hat on the ground before the Lord, and adored him.
19 The Levites, those of the descendants of the Kohathites and Korahites, stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
And the Levites of the sons of Caath, and of the sons of Core praised the Lord the God of Israel with a loud voice, on high.
20 Early in the morning they arose and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Trust in Yahweh your God, and you will be supported. Trust in his prophets, and you will succeed.”
And they rose early in the morning, and went out through the desert of Thecua: and as they were marching, Josaphat standing in the midst of them, said: Hear me, ye men of Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be secure: believe his prophets, and all things shall succeed well.
21 After he consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to Yahweh and who praised him for his majestic splendor as they went out before the army, saying, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for his covenant faithfulness endures forever.”
And he gave counsel to the people, and appointed the singing men of the Lord, to praise him by their companies, and to go before the army, and with one voice to say: Give glory to the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.
22 When they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh set men in ambush against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who were coming against Judah. They were defeated.
And when they began to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushments upon themselves, that is to say, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who were come out to fight against Juda, and they were slain.
23 For the people of Ammon and Moab rose to fight the inhabitants of Mount Seir, in order to completely kill them and destroy them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Mount Seir, they all helped to destroy each other.
For the children of Ammon, and of Moab, rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of them, they turned also against one another, and destroyed one another.
24 When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked out on the army. Behold, they were dead, fallen to the ground; none had escaped.
And when Juda came to the watch tower, that looketh toward the desert, they saw afar off all the country, for a great space, full of dead bodies, and that no one was left that could escape death.
25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take plunder from them, they found among them abundant goods, clothing, and valuable articles, which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away. It took them three days to carry off the plunder, there was so much of it.
Then Josaphat came, and all the people with him to take away the spoils of the dead, and they found among the dead bodies, stuff of various kinds, and garments, and most precious vessels: and they took them for themselves, insomuch that they could not carry all, nor in three days take away the spoils, the booty was so great.
26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah. There they praised Yahweh, so the name of that place is the “Valley of Berakah” to this day.
And on the fourth day they were assembled in the valley of Blessing: for there they blessed the Lord, and therefore they called that place the valley of Blessing until this day.
27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in their lead, to go again to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh had made them rejoice over their enemies.
And every man of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem returned, and Josaphat at their head, into Jerusalem with great joy, because the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.
28 They came to Jerusalem and to the house of Yahweh with lyres, harps, and trumpets.
And they came into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets into the house of the Lord.
29 The terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the nations when they heard that Yahweh had fought against Israel's enemies.
And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 So Jehoshaphat's kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him peace all around him.
And the kingdom of Josaphat was quiet, and God gave him peace round about.
31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
And Josaphat reigned over Juda, and he was five and thirty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Azuba the daughter of Selahi.
32 He walked in the ways of Asa, his father; he did not turn away from them; he did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh.
And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and departed not from it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.
33 However, the high places were not taken away. The people still had not directed their hearts to the God of their ancestors.
But yet he took not away the high places, and the people had not yet turned their heart to the Lord the God of their fathers.
34 As for the other matters concerning Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu son of Hanani, which is recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, first and last, are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which he digested into the books of the kings of Israel.
35 After this Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, allied himself with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who committed much wickedness.
After these things Josaphat king of Juda made friendship with Ochozias king of Israel, whose works were very wicked.
36 He allied himself with him to build ships to go to Tarshish. They built the ships at Ezion Geber.
And he was partner with him in making ships, to go to Tharsis: and they made the ships in Asiongaber.
37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat; he said, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh has destroyed your projects.” The ships were wrecked so that they were not able to sail.
And Eliezer the son of Dodau of Maresa prophesied to Josaphat, saying: Because thou hast made a league with Ochozias, the Lord hath destroyed thy works, and the ships are broken, and they could not go to Tharsis.

< 2 Chronicles 20 >