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2 Chronicles 20:5-17
New English Translation
2 Chronicles 20:5-17
New English Translation
5 Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the Lord’s temple, in front of the new courtyard. 6 He prayed: “O Lord God of our ancestors,[a] you are the God who lives in heaven[b] and rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one can stand against you. 7 Our God, you drove out[c] the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it as a permanent possession[d] to the descendants of your friend[e] Abraham. 8 They settled down in it and built in it a temple[f] to honor you,[g] saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes on us in the form of military attack,[h] judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are present in this temple.[i] We will cry out to you for help in our distress, so that you will[j] hear and deliver us.’ 10 Now the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming![k] When Israel came from the land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands.[l] They bypassed them and did not destroy them. 11 Look how they are repaying us! They come to drive us out of our allotted land which you assigned to us! 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this huge army that attacks us. We don’t know what we should do; we look to you for help.”[m]
13 All the men of Judah[n] were standing before the Lord, along with their infants, wives, and children. 14 Then in the midst of the assembly, the Lord’s Spirit came upon Jachaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph. 15 He said: “Pay attention, all you people of Judah,[o] residents of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Don’t be afraid and don’t panic[p] because of this huge army! For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them as[q] they come up the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the ravine in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you,[r] O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic![s] Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’”
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- 2 Chronicles 20:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 33).
- 2 Chronicles 20:6 tn Heb “are you not God in heaven?” The rhetorical question expects the answer “yes,” resulting in the positive statement “you are the God who lives in heaven” employed in the translation.
- 2 Chronicles 20:7 tn Heb “did you not drive out . . . ?” This is another rhetorical question which expects a positive response; see the note on the word “heaven” in the previous verse.
- 2 Chronicles 20:7 tn Heb “permanently.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:7 tn Or perhaps “your covenantal partner.” See Isa 41:8.
- 2 Chronicles 20:8 tn Or “sanctuary.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:8 tn Heb “for your name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor you”).
- 2 Chronicles 20:9 tn Heb “sword.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:9 tn Heb “for your name is in this house.” The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name. In this case the temple is referred to as a “house” where the Lord himself can reside.
- 2 Chronicles 20:9 tn Or “so that you may.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:10 tn Heb “now, look, the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:10 tn Heb “whom you did not allow Israel to enter when they came from the land of Egypt.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:12 tn Heb “for [or “indeed”] upon you are our eyes.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:13 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “you people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah. Unlike the previous instance in v. 13 where infants, wives, and children are mentioned separately, this reference appears to include them all.
- 2 Chronicles 20:15 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:16 tn Heb “look.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 tn Heb “the deliverance of the Lord with you.”
- 2 Chronicles 20:17 tn Or perhaps “don’t get discouraged.”
2 Chronicles 20:5-17
New International Version
2 Chronicles 20:5-17
New International Version
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:
“Lord, the God of our ancestors,(A) are you not the God who is in heaven?(B) You rule over all the kingdoms(C) of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.(D) 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land(E) before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?(F) 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary(G) for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine,(H) we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt;(I) so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession(J) you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them?(K) For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.(L)”
13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit(M) of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah,(N) a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged(O) because of this vast army. For the battle(P) is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see(Q) the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
2 Chronicles 20:5-17
King James Version
2 Chronicles 20:5-17
King James Version
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,
6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,
9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.
10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;
11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
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