2 Chronicles 20:1-25
English Standard Version Anglicised
Jehoshaphat's Prayer
20 After this (A)the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[b] from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in (B)Hazazon-tamar” (that is, (C)Engedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face (D)to seek the Lord, and (E)proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not (F)God in heaven? You (G)rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. (H)In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7 Did you not, our God, (I)drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it for ever to the descendants of (J)Abraham your friend? 8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 (K)‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgement,[c] or pestilence, or famine, (L)we will stand before this house and before you—(M)for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10 And now behold, the men of (N)Ammon and Moab and (O)Mount Seir, whom (P)you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, (Q)and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11 behold, they reward us (R)by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not (S)execute judgement on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but (T)our eyes are on you.”
13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And (U)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, (V)‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, (W)for the battle is not yours but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of (X)the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 (Y)You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ (Z)Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, (AA)and the Lord will be with you.”
18 Then Jehoshaphat (AB)bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the (AC)Kohathites and the (AD)Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into (AE)the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! (AF)Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him (AG)in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
(AH)“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.”
22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set (AI)an ambush against the men of (AJ)Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, (AK)they all helped to destroy one another.
The Lord Delivers Judah
24 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked towards the horde, and behold, there[d] were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Chronicles 20:1 Compare 26:7; Hebrew Ammonites
- 2 Chronicles 20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (Syria)
- 2 Chronicles 20:9 Or the sword of judgement
- 2 Chronicles 20:24 Hebrew they
Zephaniah 2:8-3:20
English Standard Version Anglicised
8 “I have heard (A)the taunts of Moab
and (B)the revilings of the Ammonites,
how they have taunted my people
and made boasts (C)against their territory.
9 Therefore, (D)as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel,
“Moab shall become (E)like Sodom,
and the Ammonites (F)like Gomorrah,
a land possessed by nettles and salt pits,
and a waste for ever.
The remnant of my people shall plunder them,
and the survivors of my nation shall possess them.”
10 This shall be their lot in return (G)for their pride,
because they taunted and boasted
against the people of the Lord of hosts.
11 The Lord will be awesome against them;
(H)for he will famish all the gods of the earth,
and (I)to him shall bow down,
each in its place,
all (J)the lands of the nations.
12 (K)You also, O Cushites,
shall be slain by my sword.
13 And he will stretch out his hand against the north
(L)and destroy Assyria,
and he (M)will make Nineveh a desolation,
a dry waste like the desert.
14 (N)Herds shall lie down in her midst,
all kinds of beasts;[a]
(O)even the owl and the hedgehog[b]
shall lodge in her capitals;
a voice shall hoot in the window;
devastation will be on the threshold;
for (P)her cedar work will be laid bare.
15 This is the exultant city
(Q)that lived securely,
that said in her heart,
“I am, and there is no one else.”
What a desolation she has become,
(R)a lair for wild beasts!
(S)Everyone who passes by her
hisses and (T)shakes his fist.
Judgement on Jerusalem and the Nations
3 Woe to her who is rebellious and defiled,
(U)the oppressing city!
2 She listens to no voice;
(V)she accepts no correction.
(W)She does not trust in the Lord;
she does not draw near to her God.
3 (X)Her officials within her
are roaring lions;
her judges are (Y)evening wolves
that leave nothing till the morning.
4 (Z)Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men;
(AA)her priests (AB)profane what is holy;
they do violence to the law.
5 The Lord within her (AC)is righteous;
he does no injustice;
every morning he shows forth his justice;
each dawn he does not fail;
but (AD)the unjust knows no shame.
6 (AE)“I have cut off nations;
their battlements are in ruins;
I have laid waste their streets
(AF)so that no one walks in them;
their cities have been made desolate,
without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 (AG)I said, ‘Surely you will fear me;
(AH)you will accept correction.
Then your[c] dwelling would not be cut off
according to all that I have appointed against you.’[d]
But (AI)all the more they were eager
to make all their deeds corrupt.
8 “Therefore (AJ)wait for me,” declares the Lord,
“for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is (AK)to gather nations,
to assemble kingdoms,
to pour out upon them my indignation,
all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy
(AL)all the earth shall be consumed.
The Conversion of the Nations
9 “For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples
to (AM)a pure speech,
that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord
and serve him with one accord.
10 (AN)From beyond the rivers (AO)of Cush
my worshippers, the daughter of my dispersed ones,
shall bring my offering.
11 (AP)“On that day (AQ)you shall not be put to shame
because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me;
for then (AR)I will remove from your midst
your proudly exultant ones,
and (AS)you shall no longer be haughty
in my holy mountain.
12 But I will leave in your midst
a people (AT)humble and lowly.
(AU)They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,
13 (AV)those who are left in Israel;
they (AW)shall do no injustice
and speak no lies,
(AX)nor shall there be found in their mouth
a deceitful tongue.
(AY)For they shall graze and lie down,
and none shall make them afraid.”
Israel's Joy and Restoration
14 (AZ)Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgements against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
(BA)The King of Israel, (BB)the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 (BC)On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
(BD)let not your hands grow weak.
17 (BE)The Lord your God is in your midst,
(BF)a mighty one who will save;
(BG)he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18 I will gather those of you who mourn (BH)for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.[e]
19 Behold, at that time (BI)I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And (BJ)I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change (BK)their shame into (BL)praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 (BM)At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
(BN)when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.
Footnotes
- Zephaniah 2:14 Hebrew beasts of every nation
- Zephaniah 2:14 The identity of the animals rendered owl and hedgehog is uncertain
- Zephaniah 3:7 Hebrew her
- Zephaniah 3:7 Hebrew her
- Zephaniah 3:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.