Jehu’s Rebuke of Jehoshaphat

19 King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned to his home in Jerusalem in peace. ² Then Jehu^(A) son of the seer Hanani went out to confront him^[a] and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Do you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?^(B) Because of this, the Lord’s wrath is on you.^{(C) 3} However, some good is found in you, for you have eradicated the Asherah poles from the land and have determined in your heart to seek God.”^(D)

Jehoshaphat’s Reforms

⁴ Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and once again he went out among the people from Beer-sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.^{(E) 5} He appointed judges in all the fortified cities of the land of Judah, city by city.^{(F) 6} Then he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for a man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the matter of judgment.^{(G) 7} And now, may the terror of the Lord be on you. Watch what you do, for there is no injustice or partiality or taking bribes with the Lord our God.”^(H)

⁸ Jehoshaphat also appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and priests and some of the Israelite family heads for deciding the Lord’s will and for settling disputes of the residents of^[b] Jerusalem. ⁹ He commanded them, saying, “In the fear of the Lord, with integrity, and wholeheartedly, you are to do the following: ¹⁰ For every dispute that comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities—whether it regards differences of bloodguilt, law, commandment, statutes, or judgments^(I)—you are to warn them, so they will not incur guilt before the Lord and wrath will not come on you and your brothers.^(J) Do this, and you will not incur guilt.

¹¹ “Note that Amariah, the chief priest, is over you in all matters related to the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all matters related to the king, and the Levites are officers in your presence. Be strong; may the Lord be with those who do what is good.”^(K)

War against Eastern Enemies

20 After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites,^[c](L) came to fight against Jehoshaphat. ² People came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast number from beyond the Dead Sea and from Edom^[d] has come to fight against you; they are already in Hazazon-tamar”^(M) (that is, En-gedi). ³ Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he resolved^(N) to seek the Lord. Then he proclaimed a fast^(O) for all Judah, ⁴ who gathered to seek the Lord. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek him.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s temple before the new courtyard. ⁶ He said:

Lord, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven,^(P) and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?^(Q) Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. ⁷ Are you not our God who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel^(R) and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham^(S) your friend? ⁸ They have lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name and have said, ⁹ “If disaster comes on us—sword or judgment, pestilence or famine^(T)—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple.^(U) We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”

¹⁰ Now here are the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir.^(V) You did not let Israel invade them when Israel came out of the land of Egypt, but Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.^{(W) 11} Look how they repay us by coming to drive us out of your possession that you gave us as an inheritance. ¹² Our God, will you not judge them?^(X) For we are powerless before this vast number that comes to fight against us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you.^[e](Y)

God’s Answer

¹³ All Judah was standing before the Lord with their dependents, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴ In the middle of the congregation, the Spirit of the Lord came on^(Z) Jahaziel (son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants), ¹⁵ and he said, “Listen carefully, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast number,^(AA) for the battle is not yours, but God’s.^{(AB) 16} Tomorrow, go down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷ You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.^(AC) He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged.^(AD) Tomorrow, go out to face them, for the Lord is with you.’”^(AE)

¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat knelt low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord to worship him.^{(AF) 19} Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites^(AG) stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel shouting loudly.

Victory and Plunder

²⁰ In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established;^(AH) believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.” ²¹ Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness.^(AI) When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:^[f]

²² The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush^(AK) against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. ²³ The Ammonites and Moabites turned against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and completely annihilated them.^(AL) When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy each other.^(AM)

²⁴ When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the large army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; nobody had escaped. ²⁵ Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to gather the plunder. They found among them^[g] an abundance of goods on the bodies^[h] and valuable items. So they stripped them until nobody could carry any more. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much. ²⁶ They assembled in the Valley of Beracah^[i] on the fourth day, for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore, that place is still called the Valley of Beracah today.

²⁷ Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem turned back with Jehoshaphat their leader, returning joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord enabled them to rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸ So they came into Jerusalem to the Lord’s temple with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

²⁹ The terror of God^(AN) was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰ Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side.^(AO)

Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

³¹ Jehoshaphat became king over Judah.^(AP) He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. ³² He walked in the ways of Asa his father; he did not turn away from it but did what was right in the Lord’s sight. ³³ However, the high places were not taken away;^(AQ) the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.^(AR)

³⁴ The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign from beginning to end are written in the Events of Jehu^(AS) son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of Israel’s Kings.^(AT)

Jehoshaphat’s Fleet of Ships

³⁵ After this,^(AU) Judah’s King Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Israel’s King Ahaziah, who was guilty of wrongdoing. ³⁶ Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with him to make ships to go to Tarshish,^(AV) and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. ³⁷ Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you formed an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken up what you have made.” So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.

Ahaziah’s Sickness and Death

1 After Ahab’s death, Moab^(A) rebelled against Israel.^{(B) 2} Ahaziah^(C) had fallen through the latticed window of his upstairs room in Samaria^(D) and was injured. So he sent messengers, instructing them, “Go inquire of Baal-zebub,^[a](E) the god of Ekron,^(F) whether I will recover from this injury.”^(G)

³ But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite,^(H) “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria^(I) and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? ⁴ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’” Then Elijah left.

⁵ The messengers returned to the king, who asked them, “Why have you come back?”

⁶ They replied, “A man came to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and declare to him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.”’”

⁷ The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke those words to you?”

⁸ They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”^(J)

He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”^(K)

⁹ So King Ahaziah sent a captain with his fifty men^(L) to Elijah. When the captain went up to him, he was sitting on top of the hill. He announced, “Man of God,^(M) the king declares, ‘Come down!’”

¹⁰ Elijah responded to the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.^(N)

¹¹ So the king sent another captain with his fifty men to Elijah. He took in the situation^[b] and announced, “Man of God, this is what the king says: ‘Come down immediately!’”

¹² Elijah responded, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” So a divine fire^[c] came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

¹³ Then the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. The third captain went up and fell on his knees in front of Elijah and begged him, “Man of God,^(O) please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious to you.^{(P) 14} Already fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains with their companies, but this time let my life be precious to you.”

¹⁵ The angel of the Lord^(Q) said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.”^(R) So he got up and went down with him to the king.

¹⁶ Then Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel for you to inquire of his will?—you will not get up from your sickbed; you will certainly die.’”

¹⁷ Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Since he had no son, Joram^[d](S) became king in his place. This happened in the second year of Judah’s King Jehoram^(T) son of Jehoshaphat.^{[e] 18} The rest of the events of Ahaziah’s reign, along with his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.^[f](U)

Psalm 20

Deliverance in Battle

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

The Herald of the Messiah

3 In those days John the Baptist came,^(A) preaching in the wilderness of Judea^{(B) 2} and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” ^{(C) 3} For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

⁴ Now John had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.^(E)

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(F) coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(G) 8} Therefore produce fruit^(H) consistent with^[b] repentance. ⁹ And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(I) For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(J)

¹¹ “I baptize you with^[c] water for repentance,^(K) but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove^[d] his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(L) 12} His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”^(M)

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.^{(N) 14} But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.

¹⁶ When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens^(O) suddenly opened for him,^[e] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him.^{(P) 17} And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”^(Q)