 1 After this the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon came in, and with them others besides the Ammonites, to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 They came in and spoke to Jehoshaphat saying, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the sea on this side of Syria. And behold, they are in Hazazontamar that is Engedi. 3 Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord, and called for a fast throughout all Judah. 4 Judah gathered to ask of the Lord. Even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. 5 Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court. 6 He said, O Lord God of our fathers, are you not God in Heaven? Do you rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Is there power and might in your hand so that no one is able to withstand you? 7 Are you not our God? Did you not drive out the people of this land before Israel and give it to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever? 8 They lived in it and built a temple in it for your name saying, 9 If evil comes on us, whether the sword, judgment, plague, or famine, and we stand before this house and in your presence for your name is in this house, and cry to you in our affliction, then you will hear and help. 10 Now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them, 11 behold, they reward us by coming to cast us out of your possession that you have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. Nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on you. 13 All Judah stood before the Lord with their little children, their wives, and their sons. 14 The Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the congregation. 15 He said, Listen, all Judah, and you people of Jerusalem, and king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Go down against them tomorrow. See, they come up by the cliff of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You shall not fight in this battle, but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord with you O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you. 18 Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground and all Judah and the people of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 The Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. 20 They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you people of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and so you shall be established. Believe His prophets, and so you shall be blessed. 21 He consulted with the people, and he appointed singers to the Lord and praisers to praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever. 22 When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were beaten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the people of Mount Seir to completely kill and destroy. When they stopped the people of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another. 24 When Judah came to the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked at the multitude and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped. 25 Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder. They found among them both riches and precious jewels in great number among the dead bodies that they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. They were three days in gathering of the plunder, it was so much. 26 On the fourth day they gathered in the valley of blessing. For there they blessed the Lord. And the name of the same place was called the Valley of Blessing until this day. 27 They returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy. For the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came into Jerusalem with harps and with lyres, and with trumpets to the house of the Lord. 29 The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 The kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet for his God gave him rest all around. 31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah, 35 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not depart from it, doing the right in the sight of the Lord. 33 But, the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the God of their fathers. 34 The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani that were taken up in the book of the kings of Israel. 35 After this, King Jehoshaphat of Judah joined with King Ahaziah of Israel. He did wickedly to do so. 36 He joined with him to make ships to go to Tarshish and they made the ships in Eziongeber. 37 Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord has broken your works. Then the ships were broken so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
|