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The Lord Gives Jehoshaphat Military Success

20 Later the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites,[a] attacked Jehoshaphat. Messengers[b] arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, “A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the Dead Sea,[c] from the direction of Edom.[d] Look, they are in Hazazon Tamar (that is, En Gedi).” Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek the Lord’s advice.[e] He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast. The people of Judah[f] assembled to ask for the Lord’s help;[g] they came from all the cities of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help.[h]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 20:1 tc The Hebrew text has “Ammonites,” but they are mentioned just before this. Most translations, following some mss of the LXX, read “Meunites” (see 2 Chr 26:7; so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  2. 2 Chronicles 20:2 tn Heb “they”; the implied referent (messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  3. 2 Chronicles 20:2 tn Heb “the Sea”; in context (“from the direction of Edom”) this must refer to the Dead Sea, which has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. NEB, NLT).
  4. 2 Chronicles 20:2 tc Most Hebrew mss, the LXX, and Vulgate read “from Aram” (i.e., Syria), but this should be emended to “Edom,” which is the reading of one Hebrew ms and the Old Latin.
  5. 2 Chronicles 20:3 tn Heb “and he set his face to seek the Lord.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 20:4 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah.
  7. 2 Chronicles 20:4 tn Heb “to seek from the Lord.” The verb here (בָּקַשׁ, baqash) is different from the one translated “seek” in v. 3 (דָּרַשׁ, darash).
  8. 2 Chronicles 20:4 tn Heb “to seek the Lord.” The verb here (בָּקַשׁ, baqash) is different from the one translated “seek” in v. 3 (דָּרַשׁ, darash).

War Against Judah

20 Now it happened after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the [a](A)Ammonites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of [b]Aram and behold, they are in (B)Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” And Jehoshaphat was afraid and [c](C)set his face to seek Yahweh, and (D)called for a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to (E)seek help from Yahweh; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 20:1 Gr Meunites
  2. 2 Chronicles 20:2 Or Edom
  3. 2 Chronicles 20:3 Lit gave