2 Chronicles
20
- After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with
some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.
- Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A
vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea.
It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi).
- Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire
of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.
- The people of Judah came together to seek
help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
- Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly
of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard
- and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers,
are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the
nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
- O 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 your friend ?
- They have lived in it and have built in
it a sanctuary for your Name, saying,
- 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the
sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before
this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress,
and you will hear us and save us.'
- "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab
and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when
they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.
- See how they are repaying us by coming to
drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.
- O our God, will you not judge them? For
we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know
what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
- All the men of Judah, with their wives and
children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.
- Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel
son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah,
a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
- He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat
and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you:
'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle
is not yours, but God's.
- Tomorrow march down against them. They will
be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the
gorge in the Desert of Jeruel.
- You will not have to fight this battle.
Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give
you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out
to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.'"
- Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground,
and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the
LORD.
- Then some Levites from the Kohathites and
Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with very loud
voice.
- Early in the morning they left for the Desert
of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me,
Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will
be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."
- After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat
appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his
holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks
to the LORD, for his love endures forever."
- As they began to sing and praise, the LORD
set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading
Judah, and they were defeated.
- The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against
the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished
slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
- When the men of Judah came to the place
that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead
bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.
- So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry
off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and
clothing and also articles of value -- more than they could take away. There
was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.
- On the fourth day they assembled in the
Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the
Valley of Beracah to this day.
- Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of
Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given
them cause to rejoice over their enemies.
- They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple
of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets.
- The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms
of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies
of Israel.
- And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace,
for his God had given him rest on every side.
- So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was
thirty-five years old when he became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem
twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
- He walked in the ways of his father Asa
and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.
- The high places, however, were not removed,
and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.
- The other events of Jehoshaphat's reign,
from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which
are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
- Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an
alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness.
- He agreed with him to construct a fleet
of trading ships. After these were built at Ezion Geber,
- Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied
against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have made an alliance with
Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." The ships were wrecked
and were not able to set sail to trade.
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