2 Chronicles 20:5-12
Christian Standard Bible
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,(A) and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?(B) 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(C) and who gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham(D) 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(E)—we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple.(F) 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.(G) 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.(H) 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?(I) 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.[a](J)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 20:12 Lit but on you our eyes
2 Chronicles 20:5-12
International Standard Version
Jehoshaphat Prays and the People Wait
5 Jehoshaphat stood among the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the Lord’s Temple in the vicinity of the new court 6 and said:
“Lord God of our ancestors, you are the God who lives in heaven, are you not? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, don’t you? In your own hands you grasp both strength and power, don’t you? As a result, no one can oppose you, can they? 7 You are our God, who expelled the former inhabitants of this land right in front of our people Israel, aren’t you? Then you gave it to your friend Abraham’s descendant[a] forever, didn’t you? 8 They lived in it and have built there a sanctuary for your name, where they said, 9 ‘If evil comes upon us, such as war[b] as punishment, disease, or famine and we stand in your presence in this Temple (because your Name is in this Temple) and cry out to you in our distress, then you will hear and deliver.’ 10 Now therefore look! The Ammonites, the Moabites, and the inhabitants of[c] Mount Seir,[d] whom you would not permit Israel to attack when they arrived from the land of Egypt—since they turned away from them and did not eliminate them— 11 Look how they’re rewarding us! They’re coming to drive us from your property that you gave us to be our inheritance. 12 Our God, you are going to punish them, aren’t you? We have no strength to face this vast multitude that has come against us, nor do we know what to do, except that our eyes are on you.”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 20:7 Lit seed (sing.)
- 2 Chronicles 20:9 Lit. us the sword
- 2 Chronicles 20:10 The Heb. lacks inhabitants of
- 2 Chronicles 20:10 This mountain, the modern Jebel esh-sherá, is located in the mountain range that extends south of the Dead Sea toward the Gulf of Aqaba, and is bordered by the Arabah Valley to the west.
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