2 Chronicles 20:20-37

New International Version

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:

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]