Moff 2 CHR Chapter 20

◄ 2 CHR 20 ► ║ ═ ©

20 It was after this that the qa Moabites and Ammonites, with some of the Meunim, made war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Word came to Jehoshaphat that a huge host was moving against him from Edom, over the Dead Sea, and that they were already at Hazazon-tamar (or Engedi). 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid; he resolved to have recourse to the Eternal, and proclaimed a fast all over Judah. 4 So Judah assembled to seek help from the Eternal; people came from every town in Judah to worship the Eternal. 5 And Jehoshaphat rose in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, before the new court in the temple of the Eternal, 6 praying thus: “O Eternal, the God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven, and ruler of all realms on earth? Such power and might is thine that no one can resist thee. 7 O our God, didst not thou evict the natives of this land before thy people Israel, giving the land to the offspring of Abraham thy friend, for all time? 8 And they settled in it, they have built a sanctuary in it to thine honour, thinking that 9 if evil befell them, the sword in judgment, or pestilence, or famine, they would stand in front of this temple and before thee (for in this temple is thy presence) and cry to thee in their distress, till thou didst hear and save them. 10 Now here are the Ammonites and Moabites and folk from mount Seir, whom thou didst not allow Israel to invade, when Israel came out of the land of Egypt--no, Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them! 11 Look how they reward us, coming to eject us from thy very own country which thou hast given us to be ours. 12 O our God, wilt thou not deal with them? We are helpless against this mighty host that is attacking us; we know not what to do, but we look to thee.”

13 All the men of Judah stood before the Eternal, with their infants, their wives, and their children. 14 Then Jehaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite descended from Asaph, was inspired by the spirit of the Eternal in the midst of the gathering 15 to cry, “Listen, all ye men of Judah, ye citizens of Jerusalem, and you, O king Jehoshaphat; the Eternal’s message to you is this: ‘Fear not, falter not before this vast army; it is for God, not for you, to fight them. 16 March down against them to-morrow; they are coming up by the ascent of Haziz, and you will come upon them at the end of the ravine in front of the desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to do any fighting; take up your position, stand still, and watch the victory of the Eternal, who is on your side, Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, falter not. Move out against them to-morrow, for the Eternal is on your side.’ ” 18 Jehoshaphat bent his head, face 18 to the ground, and all the men of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem fell down before the Eternal, worshipping the Eternal, 19 while the Levites (Korahites belonging to the Kohath family) stood up to praise the Eternal the God of Israel, at the pitch of their voices.

20 Next morning they rose and moved into the open country round Tekoa. As they advanced, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen, men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! Take hold of the Eternal your God and you will keep hold of fife; hold by his prophets, and you will prosper.” 21 After this counsel to the nation, he appointed the Eternal’s singers to praise him in sacred vestments, marching in front of the army and chanting,

Give thanks to the Eternal,

for his kindness never fails.

22 As they began to sing and praise him, the Eternal set men in ambush against the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the folk from mount Seir, who had attacked Judah, and they were routed. 23 The Ammonites and the Moabites turned on the natives of mount Seir, determined to wipe them out; and then, after destroying the natives of Seir, they all helped to kill one another. 24 So when the men of Judah reached their post of attack looking over the open country, they saw the host were so many corpses stretched upon the ground; not a man had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to plunder them, they found plenty of cattle, goods, garments, and valuables, which they carried off for their own use—-more, indeed, than they could bear away; the booty was so enormous that it took them three days to remove it. 26 On the fourth day they mustered in the valley of Berakah (Blessvale), where they blessed the Eternal; hence to this day it is called Blessvale. 27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, headed by Jehoshaphat, returned home to Jerusalem, rejoicing, since the Eternal had given them joy over their enemies; 28 they went to the temple of the Eternal at Jerusalem with lutes and lyres and trumpets. 29 And when the foreign countries heard that the Eternal had fought against the enemies of Israel, the dread of God fell on them all. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was undisturbed, for his God granted him rest on every side.

31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 He followed the path of his father Asa, never swerving from it, doing what was right in the eyes of the Eternal. 33 Still the shrines were not removed, nor had the nation as yet turned to the God of their fathers.

34 The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are described in the History of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

35 Later on, Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself to Ahaziah king of Israel, an iniquitous monarch; 36 he joined him in building ships to sail to Tartessus. They built the ships at Eziongeber. 37 Whereupon Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah uttered a prophecy against Jehoshaphat. “Because you have joined Ahaziah,” he said, “the Eternal has wrecked your enterprise.” And the ships were wrecked; they were never able to sail to Tartessus.

2 CHR C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28 C29 C30 C31 C32 C33 C34 C35 C36

Moff 2 CHR Chapter 20

Moff 2 CHR Chapter 20