< Chronicles II 20 >

1 And after this came the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them [some] of the Minaeans, against Josaphat to battle.
After this, the children of Moab, the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 And they came and told Josaphat, saying, There is come against you a great multitude from Syria, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Asasan Thamar, this is Engadi.
Then some came who told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea from Syria. Behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).
3 And Josaphat was alarmed, and set his face to seek the Lord earnestly, and he proclaimed a fast in all Juda.
Jehoshaphat was alarmed, and set himself to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Juda gathered themselves together to seek after the Lord: even from all the cities of Juda they came to seek the Lord.
Judah gathered themselves together to seek help from the LORD. They came out of all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.
5 And Josaphat stood up in the assembly of Juda in Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, in front of the new court.
Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the LORD’s house, before the new court;
6 And he said, O Lord God of my fathers, are not you God in heaven above, and are not you Lord of all the kingdoms of the nations? and [is there] not in your hand the might of dominion, and there is no one who can resist you?
and he said, “LORD, the God of our fathers, are not you God in heaven? Are not you ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in your hand, so that no one is able to withstand you.
7 Are not you the Lord that did destroy the inhabitants of this land before the face of your people Israel, and did give it to your beloved seed of Abraham for ever?
Did not you, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it to the offspring of Abraham your friend forever?
8 And they lived in it, and built in it a sanctuary to your name, saying,
They lived in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for your name, saying,
9 If there should come upon us evils, sword, judgement, pestilence, famine, we will stand before this house, and before you, (for your name [is] upon this house, ) and we will cry to you because of the affliction, and you shall hear, and deliver.
‘If evil comes on us—the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this house, and before you (for your name is in this house), and cry to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.’
10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, with regard to whom you did not permit Israel to pass through their border, when they had come out of the land of Egypt, (for they turned away from them, and did not destroy them; )—
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 away from them, and did not destroy them;
11 yet now, behold, they make attempts against us, to come forth to cast us out from our inheritance which you gave us.
behold, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.
12 O Lord our God, will you not judge them? for we have no strength to resist this great multitude that is come against us; and we know not what we shall do to them: but our eyes are towards you.
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
13 And all Juda was standing before the Lord, and their children, and their wives.
All Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 And Oziel the [son] of Zacharias, of the children of Banaias, of the sons of Eleiel, the sons of Matthanias the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, —upon him came the Spirit of the Lord in the assembly:
Then the LORD’s Spirit came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly;
15 and he said, Hear you, all Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, and king Josaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, even you, Fear not, neither be alarmed, before all this great multitude; for the battle is not years, but God's.
and he said, “Listen, all Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat. The LORD says to you, ‘Do not be afraid, and do not be dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 To-morrow go you down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Assis, and you shall find them at the extremity of the river of the wilderness of Jeriel.
Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 It is not for you to fight: understand these things, and see the deliverance of the Lord with you, Juda and Jerusalem: fear not, neither be afraid to go forth to-morrow to meet them; and the Lord shall be with you.
You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”
18 And Josaphat bowed with his face [to the ground] with all Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem, [and] they fell before the Lord to worship the Lord.
Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
19 And the Levites of the children of Caath, and [they] of the sons of Core, rose up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
The Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Thecoe: and as they went out, Josaphat stood and cried, and said, Hear me, Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem; put your trust in the Lord God, and your trust shall be honoured; trust in his prophet, and you shall prosper.
They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”
21 And he took counsel with the people, and set appointed men to sing psalms and praises, to give thanks, and sing the holy songs of praise in going forth before the host: and they said, Give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy [endures] for ever.
When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and give praise in holy array as they go out before the army, and say, “Give thanks to the LORD, for his loving kindness endures forever.”
22 And when they began the praise and thanksgiving, the Lord caused the children of Ammon to fight against Moab, and [the inhabitants of] mount Seir that came out against Juda; and they were routed.
When they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushers against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were struck.
23 Then the children of Ammon and Moab rose up against the dwellers in mount Seir, to destroy and consume them; and when they had made an end of [destroying] the inhabitants of Seir, they rose up against one another so that they were utterly destroyed.
For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. When they had finished the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy each other.
24 And Juda came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, and looked, and saw the multitude, and, behold, [they were] all fallen dead upon the earth, not one escaped.
When Judah came to the place overlooking the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none who escaped.
25 And Josaphat and his people went out to spoil them, and they found much cattle, and furniture, and spoils, and precious things: and they spoiled them, and they were three days gathering the spoil, for it was abundant.
When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies with precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. They took plunder for three days, it was so much.
26 And it came to pass on the fourth day they were gathered to the Valley of Blessing; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore they called the name of the place the Valley of Blessing, until this day.
On the fourth day, they assembled themselves in Beracah Valley, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore the name of that place was called “Beracah Valley” to this day.
27 And all the men of Juda returned to Jerusalem, and Josaphat led them with great joy; for the Lord gave them joy over their enemies.
Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
28 And they entered into Jerusalem with lutes and harps and trumpets, [going] into the house of the lord.
They came to Jerusalem with stringed instruments, harps, and trumpets to the LORD’s house.
29 And there was a terror of the Lord upon all the kingdoms of the land, when they heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.
The fear of God was on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 And the kingdom of Josaphat was at peace; and his God gave him rest round about.
So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.
31 And Josaphat reigned over Juda, being thirty-five years [old] when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Azuba, daughter of Sali.
So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. He reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the ways of his father Asa, and turned not aside from doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
He walked in the way of Asa his father, and did not turn away from it, doing that which was right in the LORD’s eyes.
33 nevertheless the high places yet remained; and as yet the people did not direct their heart to the Lord God of their fathers.
However the high places were not taken away, and the people had still not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.
34 And the rest of the acts of Josaphat, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the history of Jeu [the son] of Anani, who wrote the book of the kings of Israel.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is included in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 And afterwards Josaphat king of Juda entered into an alliance with Ochozias king of Israel, (now this was an unrighteous man, )
After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. The same did very wickedly.
36 by acting [with] and going to him, to build ships to go to Tharsis: and he built ships in Gasion Gaber.
He joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. They made the ships in Ezion Geber.
37 And Eliezer you [son] of Dodia of Marisa prophesied against Josaphat, saying, Forasmuch as you have allied yourself with Ochozias, the Lord has broken your work, and your vessels have been wrecked. And they could not go to Tharsis.
Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” The ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

< Chronicles II 20 >