2 Chronicles 20

A Great Multitude Comes against Judah

1After this the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2People came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Edom. Look, they are in Hazazon-Tamar, that is, En-Gedi.” 3Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the LORD. He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4Judah gathered to seek the LORD. Even from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

Jehoshaphat Prays in the Temple

5Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6and said:

“O LORD, God of our ancestors,
are you not God in the heavens?
You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.
In your hand are power and might,
and no one can stand against you. 7Did you not, our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the offspring of Abraham your friend? 8They lived in it and built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9‘If evil 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 cry to you from our distress, and you will hear and save.’ 10And now, look, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you did not allow Israel to invade when they came from the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them and did not destroy them— 11look how they repay us, coming to drive us out from your possession that you gave us to possess. 12O our God, will you not judge them? For there is no power in us before this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what we should do, but our eyes are upon you.”

The Spirit of the LORD Comes upon Jahaziel

13All Judah was standing before the LORD, even their little children, their wives, and their sons. 14Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, the Levite from the sons of Asaph. 15He said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: Do not fear or be dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. 16Tomorrow go down against them. Look, 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. 17You will not need to fight in this battle. Take your position, stand, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out before them, and the LORD will be with you.”

Judah Worships before the Battle

18Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. 19The Levites from the children of the Kohathites and from the children of the Korahites arose to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.

Singers Go before the Army

20They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Trust in the LORD your God, and you will be established. Trust in his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21After consulting with the people, he appointed singers to the LORD and those praising in holy splendor as they went out before the armed men, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his steadfast love is forever.” 22At the time they began with singing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were struck. 23The children of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to devote them to destruction and destroy them. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, each helped destroy his companion.

Judah Collects the Spoil

24When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they turned toward the multitude, and look, corpses were fallen to the ground, and no one had escaped. 25Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, and they found among them in abundance goods, clothing, and precious things. They stripped for themselves more than they could carry. They were three days taking the spoil, for it was abundant. 26On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore they called the name of that place the Valley of Beracah to this day.

The Fear of God Falls on the Kingdoms

27Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned, with Jehoshaphat at their head, to return to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets, to the house of the LORD. 29The fear of God was upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat had rest, and his God gave him rest all around.

Jehoshaphat’s Reign Summarized

31Jehoshaphat 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 Asa his father and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 33Only the high places were not removed, and the people had not yet set their heart toward the God of their ancestors. 34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, look, they are written in the words of Jehu son of Hanani, which were included in the book of the kings of Israel.

Jehoshaphat’s Ships Are Broken

35After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. 36He joined with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships at Ezion-Geber. 37Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has broken your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.