1After this, the Moabites, and Ammonites, and others beside the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2Then some came to Jehoshaphat, and said, “There is a great multitude coming against you from beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazontamar, which is En-gedi”.
3Then Jehoshaphat feared, and determined to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4And they gathered out of all the cities of Judah, to ask and seek help of the LORD.
5And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, before the new court in the temple of the LORD,
6And said, “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? And is there not power and might in Your hand, so that none is able to withstand You?
7Are You not our God, Who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people, Israel, and gave it to the seed of Your friend, Abraham, forever?
8And Your people dwelt in it, and have built you a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,
9‘When evil comes upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, if we stand before this temple that bears Your name, and in Your presence, and cry out to You in our affliction, then You will hear and help’.
10And now, behold, the children of Ammon, 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;
11Look how they reward us, to come to cast us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit.
12O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great multitude that comes against us, neither do we know what to do; but our eyes are upon You.”
13Then all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph;
15And he said, “Hearken, all you of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat, Thus says the LORD to you, ‘Be not afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
16Go down against them tomorrow; behold, they will come up by the cliff of Ziz; and you shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17You need not fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD Who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, nor be dismayed; go out against them tomorrow; for the LORD will be with you.”
18And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping Him.
19And the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites, and of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
20So they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe and trust in the LORD your God, and you will be secure; believe His prophets, so shall you prosper”.
21And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sing unto the LORD, and who should praise Him in their holy priestly attire, as they went out before the army, and to say, “Praise the LORD; for His mercy endures forever”.”
22And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were smitten.
23For the sons of Ammon and Moab (suspected betrayal by) the inhabitants of Mount Seir, and stood up to utterly slay and destroy them; and when they had destroyed the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24And when Judah came to the lookout tower in the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies lying on the ground, and none had escaped.
25And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them equipment, and an abundance of riches and precious jewels, which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they spent three days gathering the spoil, it was so much.
26Then on the fourth day, they assembled themselves in the valley of Beracah; and there they blessed the LORD. Therefore, the name of the same place was called, “The Valley of Beracah”, unto this day.
27Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem, led by Jehoshaphat, returned to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
28And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries, harps and trumpets to the temple of the LORD.
29And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.
30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.
31And 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, the daughter of Shilhi.
32And he walked in the way of Asa, his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.
33However, the high places were not taken away; for as yet the people had not yet set their hearts firmly on the God of their fathers.
34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, are written in the book of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
35And after (all) this, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, joined himself with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who did very wickedly.
36He joined him to build ships in Ezion-geber to go to Tarshish.
37Then Eliezer, the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has broken your works”. And the ships were wrecked, that they were not able to go to Tarshish. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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