Old/New Testament
Jehoshaphat’s Reforms
19 Then Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. 2 And Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. And he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you be a help to the wicked and love those who hate Yahweh? On account of this, wrath has come against you from Yahweh. 3 Nevertheless some good things have been found in regard to you, for you burned the Asherahs out of the land and set your heart to seek God.”
4 And Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and returned and went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.[a] 5 And he appointed judges in the land and in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. 6 And he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you are not judging for a man but for Yahweh. Now he is with you in speaking justice. 7 So now, let the fear of Yahweh be upon you all. Be careful what you do,[b] for there is neither wickedness nor showing partiality[c] and taking bribes with Yahweh our God.”
8 Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and the priests and heads of the families[d] of Israel as judges and to decide legal disputes for Yahweh. And they sat[e] in Jerusalem. 9 And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you must do in the fear of Yahweh in faithfulness and with a whole heart. 10 Any legal dispute that comes before you from your brothers who live in their cities concerning bloodguilt, law, commandment, statutes, and justice, you must warn them, so that they do not incur guilt before Yahweh, and that wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you must do that you do not incur guilt. 11 And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the word of Yahweh, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all matters of the king, and the Levites shall be before you as officials. Be strong and do well! May Yahweh be with the upright.”
The Prayer of Jehoshaphat
20 And it happened that afterward, the Moabites,[f] the Ammonites,[g] and some of the Meunites[h] came against Jehoshaphat for war. 2 And they came and reported it to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram,[i] is coming against you. Now behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek Yahweh. And he called for a fast through all Judah. 4 And Judah assembled to seek after Yahweh; even from all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of Yahweh before the new courtyard. 6 And he said, “O Yahweh, God of our ancestors,[j] are you not God in heaven? Now you rule in all the kingdoms of the nations, and in your hand are power and might, and there is none who can resist against you. 7 O, our God, did you yourself not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it to the descendants[k] of Abraham your friend forever? 8 And they lived in it and built for you a sanctuary for your name in it, saying, 9 ‘If disaster, a sword, punishment, disease, or famine come upon us, we shall stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you out of our trouble, then you will hear and save us.’ 10 And now, look, the people[l] of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir whom you did not allow Israel to come against when they came from Egypt, from whom they turned aside and did not destroy, 11 now behold, they are rewarding us by coming to dispossess us from your possession which you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will you not judge them, for there is no power in us before this great multitude that is coming against us. Now we do not know what we shall do, for our eyes are upon you.”
13 And all Judah was standing before Yahweh, and also their little children, their wives, and their children. 14 Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite from the descendants[m] of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat, thus says Yahweh to you: ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are coming up the ascent of Ziz. And you will find them at the end of the valley facing the desert of Jeruel. 17 There will be no need for you to fight in this battle. Take your stand! Stand and see the deliverance of Yahweh among you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out before them and Yahweh will be with you.’” 18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his face[n] down to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before Yahweh to worship Yahweh. 19 Then the Levites, from the Kohathites[o] and from the Korahites[p] stood up to praise Yahweh the God of Israel with an exceedingly[q] loud voice.
God Delivers Judah and Jerusalem
20 And they rose up early in the morning and went out to the desert of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, and you shall be established! Believe in his prophets, and you shall succeed!” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed singers to Yahweh who were giving praise to the splendor of his holiness when they went out before the army. And they said, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for his loyal love is everlasting!”
22 And when[r] they began with singing and praise, Yahweh set ambushes against the people[s] of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were coming against Judah. And they were defeated 23 when the people[t] of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to destroy and demolish them. And when the inhabitants of Seir had made an end of them, each helped to destroy his comrade.
24 And Judah came against the watchtower of the wilderness. And they looked at the crowd, and behold, corpses were lying on the ground. There was none who had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat came with his people to plunder their booty, they found among them in abundance possessions, corpses, and precious items. And they took plunder for themselves until they could carry no more.[u] And they were three days in plundering the booty, for it was abundant. 26 And on the fourth day, they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, for there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore the name of that place is called the Valley of Berakah up to this day. 27 And all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned, and Jehoshaphat was at their head in returning to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh caused them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came to Jerusalem with harps, stringed instruments, and trumpets to the house of Yahweh. 29 And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the earth when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at rest, since his God gave rest to him all around.
The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign
31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. And he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, to do what was right in the eyes of Yahweh. 33 Only the high places were not removed. The people still had not yet set their heart on the God of their ancestors.[v] 34 Now the rest of the words of Jehoshaphat, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the chronicles[w] of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the scroll of the kings of Israel.
35 And afterward Jehoshaphat the king of Judah joined with Ahaziah the king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 36 He joined with him to build ships to go to Tarshish. And they built the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because of your joining with Ahaziah, Yahweh will break down your works.” And the ships were destroyed and were not able to go to Tarshish.
Jesus Predicts Judas’ Betrayal
21 When he[a] had said these things, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified and said, “Truly, truly I say to you that one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples began looking[b] at one another, uncertain about whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining close beside[c] Jesus. 24 So Simon Peter gestured for this one to inquire who it was about whom he was speaking. 25 He leaned back[d] accordingly against Jesus’ chest and[e] said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “It is he to whom I dip the piece of bread and give it[f] to him.” Then after[g] dipping the piece of bread, he gave it[h][i] to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. 27 And after the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you are doing, do quickly!” 28 (Now no one of those reclining at table knew for what reason he said this to him. 29 For some were thinking because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him, “Purchase what we need[j] for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.) 30 So after he[k] had taken the piece of bread, he went out immediately. And it was night.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 Then, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will glorify him immediately. 33 Children, yet a little time I am with you. You will seek me and just as I said to the Jews, “Where I am going you cannot come,” now I say also to you.
34 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied,[l] “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why am I not able to follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!
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