2 Chronicles 20
20
Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon
1After that, the Moabites and the Ammonites, together with some Meunites, # 20:1 Hb and others with those from the Ammonites. came against Jehoshaphat for battle.
2Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and behold, they are in Hazezon Tamar” # Ge 14:7 (that is, En-gedi). # 1Sa 23:29 3Then Jehoshaphat was fearful and set himself to seek the Lord, # 2Ch 19:3 and he called for a fast # 1Sa 7:6 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 midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new courtyard, 6and he said:
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? # Dt 4:39 And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? # Da 4:17 In Your hand are strength and might, and there is no one who can oppose You. # 1Ch 29:11–12 7Did You not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham # Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23 Your friend? 8And they have dwelt in it and have built in it for You a sanctuary for Your name saying, 9‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, # 2Ch 6:28–30 then we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your name is in this temple. And we will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver.’ # 2Ch 6:20
10“And now, behold, the Ammonites and Moabites and Mount Seir, # Dt 2:4–5 whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, # Nu 20:17–21 when they turned away from them and did not destroy them, 11behold how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out of Your possession, # Ps 83:3–12 which You have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will You not render judgment on them? # Jdg 11:27 For we have not strength enough to stand before this great army that is coming against us. And we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are on You.” # Ps 25:15
13Now all of Judah was standing before the Lord, even their infants, wives, and children.
14And in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came on # 2Ch 15:1; 24:20 Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the line of Asaph.
15And he said, “Pay attention all Judah, and those dwelling in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear, nor be dismayed # 2Ch 32:7–8 because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. # 1Sa 17:47 16Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the back of the valley, before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17It will not be necessary for you to fight in this conflict. Take your positions, stand, and observe the deliverance of the Lord for you, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be filled with terror. Tomorrow, go out before them, and the Lord will be with you.” # Ex 14:13–14; 2Ch 15:2
18Then Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground, and all Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem fell before the Lord to worship Him. # Ex 4:31 19And the Levites from the descendants of the Kohathites and Korahites rose up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a very loud voice.
20So they rose up early in the morning and went out to the Wilderness of Tekoa. # 2Sa 14:2 And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and those dwelling in Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be supported. # Isa 7:9 Believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” 21And he consulted with the people and then appointed singers for the Lord and those praising Him in holy attire # 1Ch 16:29 as they went before those equipped for battle saying,
“Praise the Lord,
for His mercy endures forever.” # 1Ch 16:34
22When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes # Jdg 7:22; 2Ch 13:13 against Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were defeated. 23Then the Ammonites and Moabites stood up against those dwelling from Mount Seir to destroy and finish them. Then when they made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, each man attacked his companion to destroy each other. # 1Sa 14:20
24When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the vast army, and behold, there were dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25Then Jehoshaphat and his people came to gather their plunder, and they found among them an abundance of riches with the corpses, and precious jewelry, which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much to carry. 26On the fourth day they gathered at the Valley of Berakah, because there they blessed the Lord. For this reason people have called the name of this place the Valley of Berakah until this day.
27Then they all returned, every man from Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat as their head, to Jerusalem with joy because the Lord made them rejoice # Ne 12:43 because of the death of their enemies. 28So they entered Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord.
29And it happened that the terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands # Ge 35:5; 2Ch 17:10 who heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, because his God gave him rest on all sides. # 2Ch 14:6–7; 15:15
The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign
1Ki 22:41–50
31And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began his reign, and he was king in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. The name of his mother was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32He walked in the way of his father Asa, and he did not turn aside from doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 33Only the high places were not taken down. # 2Ch 17:6 The people had yet to set their hearts to the God of their fathers. # 2Ch 19:3
34And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, # 1Ki 16:1; 2Ch 19:2 which are taken up in the book of the kings of Israel.
35Also, Jehoshaphat king of Judah was united with Ahaziah king of Israel, # 1Ki 22:48–49 who acted wickedly. 36Jehoshaphat joined with him to make ships to travel to Tarshish, and they made ships in Ezion Geber. 37And Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will tear down your works.” # Pr 13:20 So the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to journey to Tarshish. # 2Ch 9:21
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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