ULT 2CH section

20 And it happened after this, the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, and with them some Meunites came against Jehoshaphat for battle.[fn] 2 And they came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Aram. And behold, they are in Hazezon Tamar,” that is, Engedi.[fn] 3 And he feared, and Jehoshaphat set his face to seek Yahweh. And he proclaimed a fast over all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered to seek from Yahweh; also from all the cities of Judah, they came to seek Yahweh.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Yahweh, before the new court. 6 And he said, “Yahweh, the God of our fathers, are you not he, the God in the heavens? And you rule in all the kingdoms of the nations. And in your hand are power and might and none stands himself with you. 7 Did you yourself our God not drive out the inhabitants of this land from before your people Israel, and give it to the seed of Abraham, the one who loved you, forever? 8 And they have dwelled in it, and they built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster comes on us—the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this house, and before you for your name is in this house. And we will cry to you from our distress, and you will hear and deliver.’[fn] 10 And now behold the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir whom you did not give to Israel to enter against them when they were coming from the land of Egypt, for they turned from against them, and they did not destroy them. 11 And behold they are repaying us, to come to drive us out from your posession which you caused us to possess. 12 Our God, will you not judge them, for there is not in us strength before this great multitude coming against us. And we ourselves do not know what we should do, but on you are our eyes.” 13 And all Judah was standing before Yahweh, even their children, their wives, and their sons.

14 And Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite from the sons of Asaph, the Spirit of Yahweh was on him in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Give attention, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat. Thus says Yahweh to you all, ‘You yourselves, do not fear; and do not be dismayed from before this great multitude, for not to you all is the battle but to God. 16 Tomorrow, go down against them. Behold, they are coming up by the Ascent of Ziz. And you will find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 Not to you all is it to fight in this. Station yourselves, stand and see the deliverance of Yahweh with you all, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow, go out before them, and Yahweh is with you all.’” 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed down, face to the earth. And all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before Yahweh to worship Yahweh. 19 And the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and from the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with a great voice upwards.

20 And they rose early in the morning, and they went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in Yahweh your God, and be confirmed. Believe in his prophets and succeed.” 21 And he consulted with the people, and he appointed ones who sing to Yahweh and ones who praise the holy majesty as they went out before the equipped. And they were saying, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for his covenant faithfulness is forever.” 22 And at the time they began in cry of jubilation and praise, Yahweh placed ambushers against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were coming to Judah. And they were struck. 23 And the sons of Ammon and Moab stood against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, to devote to destruction and to destroy. And when they finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped a man against his neighbor for destruction.

24 And Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, and they turned toward the multitude. And behold, corpses fallen to the earth! And there none who escaped. 25 And Jehoshaphat and his people came to plunder the spoils, and they found among them in abundance goods, and corpses, and precious items. And they took for themselves, so there was no carrying away. And there were three days of plundering the spoils, for it was great.[fn] 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah. For there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore they called the name of that place “Valley of Berakah” until today. 27 And they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem and Jehoshaphat at their head, to return to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came to Jerusalem with harps and with lyres and with trumpets to the house of Yahweh. 29 And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Yahweh had fought with the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, and his God gave rest to him all around.

31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. The son of 35 years when he became king, and 25 years he reigned in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother, Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and he did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the eyes of Yahweh. 33 However, the high places did not turn aside. And still the people did not establish their heart to the God of their fathers. 34 And the remainder of the matters of Jehoshaphat, the first things and the last things, behold, they are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is taken up on the scroll of the kings of Israel.

35 And after this Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, allied himself with Ahaziah, the king of Israel; he made himself guilty in so doing. 36 And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. And they made ships at Ezion Geber. 37 And Eliezer the son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “When you allied yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh broke through your works.” And the ships were broken, and they were not able to go to Tarshish.

The reading some Meunites represents a correction to the Hebrew text, which reads, some Ammonites. It is thought that Meunites was original, and that a copyist changed it to some Ammonites. But this last reading makes no sense, because Ammonites have already been mentioned in this verse. However, different versions deal with this problem in different ways.

Instead of Aram, some ancient and modern versions have Edom.

Instead of judgment, some ancient and modern versions read flood.

Instead of among them, some ancient and modern versions read cattle. Instead of corpses, some ancient manuscripts and most modern versions read garments.

Demonstration version—prototype quality only—still in development

ULT by section 2CH 20:1

The Second Book of the Chronicles 20