2 Chronicles 20

After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, with others of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Aram. They are already at Hazazon-tamar, that is, En-gedi.” Jehoshaphat was afraid and set himself to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. Judah gathered to seek help from the LORD. They came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD. Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the house of the LORD, before the new court, and said, “LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can stand against you. Are you not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They lived in it and built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us—the sword of judgment, plague, or famine—we will stand before this house and before you, for your name is in this house. We will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear and save.’ Now here are the Ammonites, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. This is how they repay us: they come to drive us out of your possession, which you gave us to inherit. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no strength against this great multitude coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” All Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their sons. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel 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. He said, “Listen, all Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. They are coming up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine, facing the wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand firm, and see the LORD's salvation on your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or dismayed. Tomorrow go out to meet them, and the LORD will be with you.’” Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD to worship the LORD. The Levites of the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand firm. Trust in his prophets, and you will succeed.” After consulting the people, he appointed singers to the LORD and those who praised the splendor of holiness, going out before the armed men and saying, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his faithful love endures forever.” When they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the Ammonites, Moab, and Mount Seir, who were coming against Judah, and they were defeated. The Ammonites and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to devote them to destruction and wipe them out. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped destroy one another. When Judah came to the lookout over the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude and saw dead bodies lying on the ground. No one had escaped. Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder. They found abundant possessions and valuable articles among the dead bodies, and stripped off more than they could carry. They spent three days gathering the plunder, for there was so much. On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the LORD. That is why they called that place the Valley of Beracah, as it is to this day. Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets, to the house of the LORD. The terror of God fell on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against Israel's enemies. Jehoshaphat's kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side. Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. But the high places were not removed, and the people had still not set their hearts toward the God of their fathers. The rest of Jehoshaphat's acts, from first to last, are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, entered in the Book of the Kings of Israel. After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships at Ezion-geber. Eliezer son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your work.” The ships were wrecked and could not go to Tarshish.

Rights and attribution