2 Chronicles 20
New American Standard Bible
Judah Invaded
20 Now it came about after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the [a](A)Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [b]Aram; and behold, they are in (B)Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and [c](C)turned his attention to seek the Lord; and he (D)proclaimed a period of fasting throughout Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to (E)seek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.
Jehoshaphat’s Prayer
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord in front of the new courtyard; 6 and he said, “Lord, God of our fathers, (F)are You not God in the heavens? And (G)are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. 7 Did You not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land from Your people Israel, and (H)give it to the descendants of (I)Your friend Abraham forever? 8 They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 ‘(J)If disaster comes upon us, the sword, or judgment, or plague, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for (K)Your name is in this house), and cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear and save us.’ 10 Now behold, (L)the sons of Ammon, Moab, and [d]Mount Seir, (M)whom You did not allow Israel to invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (for they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), 11 see how they are rewarding us by (N)coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, (O)will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but (P)our eyes are on You.”
13 All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children.
Jahaziel Answers the Prayer
14 Then in the midst of the assembly (Q)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15 and he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: This is what the Lord says to you: ‘(R)Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for (S)the battle is not yours but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You need not fight in this battle; take your position, (T)stand and watch the salvation of the Lord in your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow, go out to face them, (U)for the Lord is with you.”
18 Jehoshaphat (V)bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and from the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
Enemies Destroy Themselves
20 They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: (W)Put your trust in the Lord your God and you will endure. Put your trust in His prophets, and succeed.” 21 When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who (X)praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “(Y)Give thanks to the Lord, for His faithfulness is everlasting.” 22 When they began singing and praising, the Lord (Z)set ambushes against the sons of (AA)Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were struck down. 23 For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, completely destroying them; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, (AB)they helped to destroy one another.
24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they turned toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and there was no survivor. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoils, they found much among them, including goods, [e]garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were taking the spoils for three days because there was so much.
Triumphant Return to Jerusalem
26 Then on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, for they blessed the Lord there. Therefore they have named that place “The Valley of [f]Beracah” until today. 27 Every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, (AC)for the Lord had helped them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 And (AD)the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, (AE)for his God gave him rest on all sides.
31 (AF)Now Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not deviate from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. 33 (AG)The high places, however, were not removed; (AH)the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.
34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first [g]to last, behold, they are written in the annals of (AI)Jehu the son of Hanani, which is [h]recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
Alliance Displeases God
35 (AJ)After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. He acted wickedly [i]in so doing. 36 So he allied himself with him to make ships to go (AK)to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” So the ships were wrecked and could not go to Tarshish.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 20:1 As in LXX; MT Ammonites
- 2 Chronicles 20:2 Another reading is Edom
- 2 Chronicles 20:3 Lit set his face
- 2 Chronicles 20:10 I.e., Edom
- 2 Chronicles 20:25 As in several ancient mss; others corpses
- 2 Chronicles 20:26 I.e., blessing
- 2 Chronicles 20:34 Lit and
- 2 Chronicles 20:34 Lit taken up
- 2 Chronicles 20:35 Lit to do
2 Chronicles 20
Young's Literal Translation
20 And it cometh to pass after this, the sons of Moab have come in, and the sons of Ammon, and with them of the peoples, against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 And they come in and declare to Jehoshaphat, saying, `Come against thee hath a great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram, and lo, they [are] in Hazezon-Tamar -- it [is] En-Gedi.'
3 And Jehoshaphat feareth, and setteth his face to seek to Jehovah, and proclaimeth a fast over all Judah;
4 and Judah is gathered to inquire of Jehovah; also, from all the cities of Judah they have come in to seek Jehovah.
5 And Jehoshaphat standeth in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, at the front of the new court,
6 and saith, `O Jehovah, God of our fathers, art not Thou -- God in the heavens? yea, Thou art ruling over all kingdoms of the nations, and in Thy hand [is] power and might, and there is none with Thee to station himself.
7 `Art not Thou our God? Thou hast dispossessed the inhabitants of this land from before Thy people Israel, and dost give it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend to the age,
8 and they dwell in it, and build to Thee in it a sanctuary for Thy name, saying,
9 If evil doth come upon us -- sword, judgment, and pestilence, and famine -- we stand before this house, and before Thee, for Thy name [is] in this house, and cry unto Thee out of our distress, and Thou dost hear and save.
10 `And now, lo, sons of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, whom Thou didst not grant to Israel to go in against in their coming out of the land of Egypt, for they turned aside from off them and destroyed them not,
11 and lo, they are recompensing to us -- to come in to drive us out of Thy possession, that Thou hast caused us to possess.
12 `O our God, dost Thou not execute judgment upon them? for there is no power in us before this great multitude that hath come against us, and we know not what we do, but on Thee [are] our eyes.'
13 And all Judah are standing before Jehovah, also their infants, their wives, and their sons.
14 And upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, hath the Spirit of Jehovah been, in the midst of the assembly,
15 and he saith, `Attend, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and O king Jehoshaphat, Thus said Jehovah to you, Ye fear not, nor are afraid of the face of this great multitude, for not for you [is] the battle, but for God.
16 To-morrow, go ye down against them, lo, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz, and ye have found them in the end of the valley, the front of the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Not for you to fight in this; station yourselves, stand, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem -- be not afraid nor fear ye -- to-morrow go out before them, and Jehovah [is] with you.'
18 And Jehoshaphat boweth -- face to the earth -- and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have fallen before Jehovah, to bow themselves to Jehovah.
19 And the Levites, of the sons of the Kohathites, and of the sons of the Korhites, rise to give praise to Jehovah, God of Israel, with a loud voice on high.
20 And they rise early in the morning, and go out to the wilderness of Tekoa, and in their going out Jehoshaphat hath stood and saith, `Hear me, O Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, remain stedfast in Jehovah your God, and be stedfast; remain stedfast in His prophets, and prosper.'
21 And he taketh counsel with the people, and appointeth singers to Jehovah, and those giving praise to the honour of holiness, in the going out before the armed [men], and saying, `Give ye thanks to Jehovah, for to the age [is] His kindness.'
22 And at the time they have begun with singing and praise, Jehovah hath put ambushments against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who are coming in to Judah, and they are smitten,
23 and the sons of Ammon stand up, and Moab, against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to devote and to destroy, and at their finishing with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped, a man against his neighbour, to destroy.
24 And Judah hath come in unto the watch-tower, to the wilderness, and they look unto the multitude, and lo, they [are] carcases fallen to the earth, and there is none escaped,
25 and Jehoshaphat cometh in, and his people, to seize their spoil, and they find among them, in abundance, both goods and carcases, and desirable vessels, and they take spoil to themselves without prohibition, and they are three days seizing the spoil, for it [is] abundant.
26 And on the fourth day they have been assembled at the valley of Blessing, for there they blessed Jehovah: therefore they have called the name of that place, `Valley of Blessing,' unto this day.
27 And they turn back, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, to go back unto Jerusalem with joy, for Jehovah hath made them rejoice over their enemies.
28 And they come in to Jerusalem with psalteries, and with harps, and with trumpets, unto the house of Jehovah.
29 And there is a fear of God on all kingdoms of the lands in their hearing that Jehovah hath fought with the enemies of Israel,
30 and the kingdom of Jehoshaphat is quiet, and his God giveth rest to him round about.
31 And Jehoshaphat reigneth over Judah, a son of thirty and five years in his reigning, and twenty and five years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walketh in the way of his father Asa, and hath not turned aside from it, to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.
33 Only, the high places have not turned aside, and still the people have not prepared their heart for the God of their fathers.
34 And the rest of the matters of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, lo, they are written among the matters of Jehu son of Hanani, who hath been mentioned on the book of the kings of Israel.
35 And after this hath Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, (he did wickedly in [so] doing),
36 and he joineth him with himself to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they make ships in Ezion-Geber,
37 and prophesy doth Eliezer son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, against Jehoshaphat, saying, `For thy joining thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath broken up thy works;' and the ships are broken, and have not retained [power] to go unto Tarshish.
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