2 Chronicles 20
20
1And it came to pass after this that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them certain of the Maonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2And they came and told Jehoshaphat saying, A great multitude is come against thee from beyond the sea, from Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi. 3And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek Jehovah, and proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. 4And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of Jehovah: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah. 5And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, before the new court; 6and he said, Jehovah, God#GodHebrew: Elohim of our fathers, art not thou God#GodHebrew: Elohim in the heavens, and rulest thou not over all the kingdoms of the nations? And in thy hand there is power and might, and none can withstand thee. 7Hast not thou, our God#GodHebrew: Elohim dispossessed the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and given it for ever to the seed of Abraham, thy friend? 8And they have dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9If evil come upon us, sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, and we stand before this house and before thee — for thy name is in this house — and cry unto thee in our distress, then thou wilt hear and save. 10And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab, and those of mount Seir, amongst whom thou wouldest not let Israel go when they came out of the land of Egypt, (for they turned from them, and destroyed them not,) 11behold, they reward us, in coming to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to possess. 12Our God#GodHebrew: Elohim wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might in presence of this great company which cometh against us, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee. 13And all Judah stood before Jehovah, with their little ones, their wives, and their sons.
14And 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, upon him came the Spirit of Jehovah, in the midst of the congregation; 15and he said, Be attentive, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat! Thus saith Jehovah unto you: Fear not, nor be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God#GodHebrew: Elohim s. 16To-morrow go down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17Ye shall not have to fight on this occasion: set yourselves, stand and see the salvation of Jehovah who is with you! Judah and Jerusalem, fear not nor be dismayed; to-morrow go out against them, and Jehovah will be with you. 18And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Jehovah, worshipping Jehovah. 19And the Levites, of the sons of the Kohathites, and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of Israel with an exceeding loud voice.
20And they rose early in the morning, and went forth towards the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Jehovah your God#GodHebrew: Elohim and ye shall be established; believe his prophets, and ye shall prosper! 21And he consulted with the people, and appointed singers to Jehovah, and those that should praise in holy splendour, as they went forth before the armed men, and say, Give thanks to Jehovah; for his loving-kindness endureth for ever! 22And when they began the song of triumph and praise, Jehovah set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were smitten. 23And the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to exterminate and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24And Judah came on to the mountain-watch in the wilderness, and they looked toward the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped. 25And Jehoshaphat and his people came to plunder the spoil of them, and they found among them in abundance, both riches with the dead bodies, and precious things, and they stripped off for themselves more than they could carry away; and they were three days in plundering the spoil, it was so much. 26And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah, for there they blessed Jehovah; therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Berachah, to this day. 27And they returned, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28And they came to Jerusalem with lutes and harps and trumpets, to the house of Jehovah. 29And the terror of God#GodHebrew: Elohim was on all the kingdoms of the lands, when they had heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies of Israel. 30And the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; and his God#GodHebrew: Elohim gave him rest round about.
31And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. 32And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of Jehovah. 33Only, the high places were not removed; and as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God#GodHebrew: Elohim of their fathers. 34And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are inserted in the book of the kings of Israel. 35And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly. 36And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37And Eliezer the son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah has broken thy works. And the ships were broken, and could not go to Tarshish.
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2 Chronicles 20: DARBY
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
2 Chronicles 20
20
Jehoshaphat’s Prayer
1After this #2 Kgs. 1:1; 3:4, 7the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,#20:1 Compare 26:7; Hebrew Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,#20:2 One Hebrew manuscript; most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (Syria) from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in #Gen. 14:7 Hazazon-tamar” (that is, #See 1 Sam. 23:29Engedi). 3Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face #ch. 19:3; [1 Chr. 22:19] to seek the Lord, and #Ezra 8:21; Jer. 36:9; Jonah 3:5; [Joel 1:14; 2:15]proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not #See Deut. 4:39 God in heaven? You #[Dan. 4:17, 25, 32] rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. #1 Chr. 29:12In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. 7Did you not, our God, #Ps. 44:2 drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of #Isa. 41:8; James 2:23Abraham your friend? 8And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9#ch. 6:28-30; 1 Kgs. 8:33, 37; [Ezek. 14:21] ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,#20:9 Or the sword of judgment or pestilence, or famine, #[Ezra 10:1] we will stand before this house and before you—#ch. 6:20for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’ 10And now behold, the men of #ver. 1, 22, 23 Ammon and Moab and #ch. 25:11, 14; Gen. 32:3; 36:8 Mount Seir, whom #Deut. 2:4, 5, 9, 19 you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, #Num. 20:21and whom they avoided and did not destroy— 11behold, they reward us #Ps. 83:6, 7, 12by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will you not #[1 Sam. 3:13] execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but #Ps. 25:15; 123:1, 2; 141:8our eyes are on you.”
13Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14And #See ch. 15:1the Spirit of the Lord came#20:14 Or was upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, #ch. 32:7; [Deut. 1:29, 30; 31:6, 8] ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, #1 Sam. 17:47for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of #Num. 13:23the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17#[Ex. 14:13, 14] You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ #[See ver. 15 above] Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, #ch. 15:2; 32:8; [Num. 14:9]and the Lord will be with you.”
18Then Jehoshaphat #ch. 29:29, 30; Ex. 4:31; Neh. 8:6bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19And the Levites, of the #Ex. 6:16, 18 Kohathites and the #See 1 Chr. 9:19Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
20And they rose early in the morning and went out into #[2 Sam. 14:2] the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! #Isa. 7:9Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him #See 1 Chr. 16:29 in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,
# See 1 Chr. 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”
22And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set #[ch. 13:13] an ambush against the men of #ver. 10Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, #[Judg. 7:22; 1 Sam. 14:20]they all helped to destroy one another.
The Lord Delivers Judah
24When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the horde, and behold, there#20:24 Hebrew they were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped. 25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found among them, in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah,#20:26 Beracah means blessing for there they blessed the Lord. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day. 27Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, #Neh. 12:43for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28They came to Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29#ch. 14:14; 17:10And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, #[ch. 14:6, 7; 15:15]for his God gave him rest all around.
31 # For ver. 31-33, see 1 Kgs. 22:41-43 Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33#[ch. 17:6] The high places, however, were not taken away; #ch. 12:14the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers.
34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of #ch. 19:2 Jehu the son of Hanani, #1 Kgs. 16:1, 7which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign
35 #
1 Kgs. 22:48, 49 After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 36He joined him in building ships to go to #ch. 9:21Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber. 37Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, #[ch. 19:2]“Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.
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