2 Chronicles 20

1After this, the Moabites and the Ammonites, and with them some of the Ammonites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.

2Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Aram. They are already in Hazazon-tamar, that is, En-gedi.”

3Jehoshaphat was afraid and set himself to seek Yahweh, and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4Judah gathered to seek help from Yahweh; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh.

5Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of Yahweh, in front of the new courtyard,

6and said, “Yahweh, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

7Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

8They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your name, saying,

9‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, plague, or famine—we will stand before this house and before you, for your name is in this house, and we will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear and save us.’

10Now here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.

11See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you gave us to inherit.

12Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

13All Judah was standing before Yahweh, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

14Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the descendants of Asaph, in the middle of the assembly.

15He said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat! This is what Yahweh says to you: Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.

16Tomorrow go down against them. They will be coming up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley, facing the wilderness of Jeruel.

17You will not need to fight this battle. Take your positions, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh on your behalf, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and Yahweh will be with you.”

18Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping Yahweh.

19Then the Levites, from the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise Yahweh, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20Early in the morning they went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

21After consulting with the people, he appointed singers to sing to Yahweh and to praise him in holy splendor as they went out ahead of the army, saying, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

22As soon as they began to sing and praise, Yahweh set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.

23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to devote them to destruction and wipe them out. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24When Judah came to the watchtower overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and there were dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

25When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them a great amount of goods, corpses, and precious articles, and they stripped off for themselves more than they could carry. They spent three days taking the plunder, because there was so much.

26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, for there they blessed Yahweh. That is why that place has been called the Valley of Beracah to this day.

27Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.

28They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets, to the house of Yahweh.

29The dread of God fell on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on every side.

31So 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.

32He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the eyes of Yahweh.

33The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

34The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are included in the book of the kings of Israel.

35After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly.

36He joined with him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in Ezion-geber.

37Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, Yahweh has destroyed what you have made.” So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.