It came to pass after this also, that the children
of Moab
, and the children
of Ammon
, and with them other beside the Ammonites
, came
against Jehoshaphat
to battle
.
Then there came some that told
Jehoshaphat
, saying
, There cometh
a great
multitude
against thee from beyond
the sea
on this side Syria
; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar
, which is Engedi
.
And Jehoshaphat feared
, and set
himself
to seek
the LORD
, and proclaimed
a fast
throughout
all Judah
.
And Judah gathered themselves together
, to ask
help of the LORD
: even out of all the cities
of Judah
they came
to seek
the LORD
.
And Jehoshaphat stood
in the congregation
of Judah
and Jerusalem
, in the house
of the LORD
, before
the new
court
,
And said, O LORD
God
of our fathers
, art not thou God
in heaven
? and rulest
not thou over all the kingdoms
of the heathen
? and in thine hand
is there not power
and might
, so that none is able to withstand
thee?
Art not thou our God, who didst drive out
the inhabitants
of this land
before
thy people
Israel
, and gavest
it to the seed
of Abraham
thy friend
for ever
?
And they dwelt therein, and have built
thee a sanctuary
therein for thy name
, saying
,
If, when evil cometh
upon us, as the sword
, judgment
, or pestilence
, or famine
, we stand
before
this house
, and in thy presence
, (for thy name
is in this house
,) and cry
unto thee in our affliction
, then thou wilt hear
and help
.
And now, behold, the children of Ammon
and Moab
and mount
Seir
, whom thou wouldest not let
Israel
invade
, when they came out
of the land
of Egypt
, but they turned
from them, and destroyed
them not;
Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come
to cast us out
of thy possession
, which thou hast given us to inherit
.
O our God, wilt thou not judge
them? for we have no might
against
this great
company
that cometh
against us; neither know
we
what to do
: but our eyes
are upon thee.
And all Judah stood
before
the LORD
, with
their little ones
, their wives
, and their children
.
Then 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
, came the Spirit
of the LORD
in the midst
of the congregation
;
And he said, Hearken
ye, all Judah
, and ye inhabitants
of Jerusalem
, and thou king
Jehoshaphat
, Thus saith
the LORD
unto you, Be not afraid
nor dismayed
by reason
of this great
multitude
; for the battle
is not yours, but God's
.
To morrow go ye down
against them: behold, they come up
by the cliff
of Ziz
; and ye shall find
them at the end
of the brook
, before
the wilderness
of Jeruel
.
Ye shall not need to fight in this
battle : set
yourselves, stand
ye still , and see
the salvation
of the LORD
with you, O Judah
and Jerusalem
: fear
not, nor be dismayed
; to morrow
go out
against
them: for the LORD
will be with you.
And Jehoshaphat bowed
his head with his face
to the ground
: and all Judah
and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
fell
before
the LORD
, worshipping
the LORD
.
And the Levites, of the children
of the Kohathites
, and of the children
of the Korhites
, stood up
to praise
the LORD
God
of Israel
with a loud
voice
on high
.
And 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 ye inhabitants
of Jerusalem
; Believe
in the LORD
your God
, so shall ye be established
; believe
his prophets
, so shall ye prosper
.
And when he had consulted with the people
, he appointed
singers
unto the LORD
, and that should praise
the beauty
of holiness
, as they went out
before
the army
, and to say
, Praise
the LORD
; for his mercy
endureth for ever
.
And when they began
to sing
and to praise
, the LORD
set
ambushments
against the children
of Ammon
, Moab
, and mount
Seir
, which were come
against Judah
; and they were smitten
.
For the children of Ammon
and Moab
stood up
against the inhabitants
of mount
Seir
, utterly to slay
and destroy
them : and when they had made an end
of the inhabitants
of Seir
, every one
helped
to destroy
another
.
And when Judah came
toward the watch tower
in the wilderness
, they looked
unto the multitude
, and, behold, they were dead bodies
fallen
to the earth
, and none escaped
.
And when Jehoshaphat and his people
came
to take away
the spoil
of them, they found
among them in abundance
both riches
with the dead bodies
, and precious
jewels
, which they stripped off
for themselves, more than
they could carry away
: and they were three
days
in gathering
of the spoil
, it was so much
.
And on the fourth day
they assembled
themselves in the valley
of Berachah
; for there they blessed
the LORD
: therefore the name
of the same place
was called
, The valley
of Berachah
, unto this day
.
Then they returned, every man
of Judah
and Jerusalem
, and Jehoshaphat
in the forefront
of them, to go again
to Jerusalem
with joy
; for the LORD
had made them to rejoice
over their enemies
.
And they came to Jerusalem
with psalteries
and harps
and trumpets
unto the house
of the LORD
.
And the fear of God
was on all the kingdoms
of those countries
, when they had heard
that the LORD
fought
against the enemies
of Israel
.
So the realm of Jehoshaphat
was quiet
: for his God
gave him rest
round about
.
And Jehoshaphat reigned
over Judah
: he was thirty
and five
years
old
when he began to reign
, and he reigned
twenty
and five
years
in Jerusalem
. And his mother's
name
was Azubah
the daughter
of Shilhi
.
And 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
.
Howbeit the high places were not taken away
: for as yet the people
had not prepared
their hearts
unto the God
of their fathers
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Jehoshaphat
, first
and last
, behold, they are written
in the book
of Jehu
the son
of Hanani
, who is mentioned
in the book
of the kings
of Israel
.
And after this did Jehoshaphat
king
of Judah
join
himself with Ahaziah
king
of Israel
, who did
very wickedly
:
And he joined himself with him to make
ships
to go
to Tarshish
: and they made
the ships
in Eziongeber
.
Then Eliezer the son
of Dodavah
of Mareshah
prophesied
against Jehoshaphat
, saying
, Because thou hast joined
thyself with Ahaziah
, the LORD
hath broken
thy works
. And the ships
were broken
, that they were not able
to go
to Tarshish
.