20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: (A)Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, (B)and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

(C)“Praise the Lord,
(D)For His mercy endures forever.”

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, (E)the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they [a]had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, (F)they helped to destroy one another.

24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the [b]dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of [c]Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had (G)made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 And (H)the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his (I)God gave him rest all around.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign(J)

31 (K)So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of his father (L)Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33 Nevertheless (M)the [d]high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not (N)directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, (O)which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 After this (P)Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, (Q)who acted very (R)wickedly. 36 And he allied himself with him (S)to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” (T)Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go (U)to Tarshish.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 20:23 had finished
  2. 2 Chronicles 20:25 A few Heb. mss., Old Lat., Vg. garments; LXX armor
  3. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Lit. Blessing
  4. 2 Chronicles 20:33 Places for pagan worship

20 次 日 清 早 , 眾 人 起 來 往 提 哥 亞 的 曠 野 去 。 出 去 的 時 候 , 約 沙 法 站 著 說 : 猶 大 人 和 耶 路 撒 冷 的 居 民 哪 , 要 聽 我 說 : 信 耶 和 華 ─ 你 們 的 神 就 必 立 穩 ; 信 他 的 先 知 就 必 亨 通 。

21 約 沙 法 既 與 民 商 議 了 , 就 設 立 歌 唱 的 人 , 頌 讚 耶 和 華 , 使 他 們 穿 上 聖 潔 的 禮 服 , 走 在 軍 前 讚 美 耶 和 華 說 : 當 稱 謝 耶 和 華 , 因 他 的 慈 愛 永 遠 長 存 !

22 眾 人 方 唱 歌 讚 美 的 時 候 , 耶 和 華 就 派 伏 兵 擊 殺 那 來 攻 擊 猶 大 人 的 亞 捫 人 、 摩 押 人 , 和 西 珥 山 人 , 他 們 就 被 打 敗 了 。

23 因 為 亞 捫 人 和 摩 押 人 起 來 , 擊 殺 住 西 珥 山 的 人 , 將 他 們 滅 盡 ; 滅 盡 住 西 珥 山 的 人 之 後 , 他 們 又 彼 此 自 相 擊 殺 。

24 猶 大 人 來 到 曠 野 的 望 樓 , 向 那 大 軍 觀 看 , 見 屍 橫 遍 地 , 沒 有 一 個 逃 脫 的 。

25 約 沙 法 和 他 的 百 姓 就 來 收 取 敵 人 的 財 物 , 在 屍 首 中 見 了 許 多 財 物 、 珍 寶 , 他 們 剝 脫 下 來 的 多 得 不 可 攜 帶 ; 因 為 甚 多 , 直 收 取 了 三 日 。

26 第 四 日 眾 人 聚 集 在 比 拉 迦 谷 ( 就 是 稱 頌 的 意 思 ) , 在 那 裡 稱 頌 耶 和 華 。 因 此 那 地 方 名 叫 比 拉 迦 谷 , 直 到 今 日 。

27 猶 大 人 和 耶 路 撒 冷 人 都 歡 歡 喜 喜 地 回 耶 路 撒 冷 , 約 沙 法 率 領 他 們 ; 因 為 耶 和 華 使 他 們 戰 勝 仇 敵 , 就 歡 喜 快 樂 。

28 他 們 彈 琴 、 鼓 瑟 、 吹 號 來 到 耶 路 撒 冷 , 進 了 耶 和 華 的 殿 。

29 列 邦 諸 國 聽 見 耶 和 華 戰 敗 以 色 列 的 仇 敵 , 就 甚 懼 怕 。

30 這 樣 , 約 沙 法 的 國 得 享 太 平 , 因 為 神 賜 他 四 境 平 安 。

31 約 沙 法 作 猶 大 王 , 登 基 的 時 候 年 三 十 五 歲 , 在 耶 路 撒 冷 作 王 二 十 五 年 。 他 母 親 名 叫 阿 蘇 巴 , 乃 示 利 希 的 女 兒 。

32 約 沙 法 效 法 他 父 亞 撒 所 行 的 , 不 偏 左 右 , 行 耶 和 華 眼 中 看 為 正 的 事 。

33 只 是 邱 壇 還 沒 有 廢 去 , 百 姓 也 沒 有 立 定 心 意 歸 向 他 們 列 祖 的 神 。

34 約 沙 法 其 餘 的 事 , 自 始 至 終 都 寫 在 哈 拿 尼 的 兒 子 耶 戶 的 書 上 , 也 載 入 以 色 列 諸 王 記 上 。

35 此 後 , 猶 大 王 約 沙 法 與 以 色 列 王 亞 哈 謝 交 好 ; 亞 哈 謝 行 惡 太 甚 。

36 二 王 合 夥 造 船 要 往 他 施 去 , 遂 在 以 旬 迦 別 造 船 。

37 那 時 瑪 利 沙 人 、 多 大 瓦 的 兒 子 以 利 以 謝 向 約 沙 法 預 言 說 : 因 你 與 亞 哈 謝 交 好 , 耶 和 華 必 破 壞 你 所 造 的 。 後 來 那 船 果 然 破 壞 , 不 能 往 他 施 去 了 。

Read full chapter

20 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(A) in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.(B) 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his[a] holiness(C) as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
    for his love endures forever.”(D)

22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes(E) against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites(F) and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir(G) to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.(H)

24 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. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing[b] and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah[c] to this day.

27 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. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.

29 The fear(I) of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought(J) against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest(K) on every side.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign(L)

31 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. 32 He followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 33 The high places,(M) however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

34 The other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu(N) son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance(O) with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose ways were wicked.(P) 36 He agreed with him to construct a fleet of trading ships.[d] After these were built at Ezion Geber, 37 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(Q) were wrecked and were not able to set sail to trade.[e]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 20:21 Or him with the splendor of
  2. 2 Chronicles 20:25 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts corpses
  3. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Berakah means praise.
  4. 2 Chronicles 20:36 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish
  5. 2 Chronicles 20:37 Hebrew sail for Tarshish