Top of Page
Page Style
this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.
2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast multitude is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea, and they are already at Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi). 3 Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and he set himself to seek the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; they came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the House of the Lord, at the front of the new courtyard. 6 He prayed,
“O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven? Do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You. 7 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? 8 They have lived in this land, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your Name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes upon us, whether the sword or judgment or pestilence or famine, we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your Name is in this temple. We will cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save’.
10 “But look, now there are men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whose territory You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt; so Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they reward us by coming to drive us out of Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast multitude that is coming to attack us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
13 All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives, and their children.
14 Then, in the midst of the assembly, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the descendants of Asaph.
15 He said, “Listen, all Judah and you people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, go down against them. They will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow go out and face them, for the Lord is with you’.”
18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the people of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with loud voices.
20 So they rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and you people of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 Then he had consulted with the people, and he appointed some to sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendour of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, singing,
“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his faithful love endures forever.”
22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The men of Ammon and Moab turned against the men of Mount Seir to completely kill and destroy them. After they had finished killing the men of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 When Judah came to the place that overlooks the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude and only saw dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder. They found among them an abundance of goods and valuable items, which they took for themselves—more than they could carry. They spent three days gathering the plunder, because there was so much. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berecah, where they blessed the Lord. That is why the name of that place has been called the Valley of Berecah to this day.
27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned to Jerusalem joyfully with Jehoshaphat at their head, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they entered Jerusalem with harps and lyres and trumpets, and they went to the House of the Lord.
29 The terror of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on every side.
31 So 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. 32 He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33 However, the high places were not removed, for as yet the people had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.
34 Now the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
35 After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah mad an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was guilty of wickedness. 36 Jehoshaphat formed an alliance with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and the ships were built at Ezion-geber. 37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy you what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.