(KJV) 2 Chronicles 20¹

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⥃War against Jehoshaphat

[1] It came to pass after this also², [that] the children of Moab³, and the children of Ammon, and with them [other] beside the Ammonites, came against⁴ Jehoshaphat to battle. [2] Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea⁵ on this side Syria; and, behold, they [be] in Hazazon–tamar⁶, which [is] En–gedi⁷. [3] And Jehoshaphat feared⁸, and set himself⁹ to seek the Lord¹⁰, and proclaimed¹¹ a fast throughout all Judah. [4] And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask [help] of the Lord¹²: even out of all the cities¹³ of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

⥃Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

[5] [¶]And Jehoshaphat¹⁴ stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, [6] And said, O Lord¹⁵ God of our fathers, [art] not thou God in heaven¹⁶? and rulest [not¹⁷] thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand¹⁸ [is there not] power and might, so that none is able¹⁹ to withstand thee? [7] [Art] not thou our God²⁰, [who²¹] didst drive out²² the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest²³ it to the seed of Abraham thy friend²⁴ for ever? [8] And they dwelt therein, and have built thee²⁵ a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, [9] If, [when] evil²⁶ cometh upon us, [as] the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence²⁷, (for thy name²⁸ [is] in this house²⁹,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. [10] And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou³⁰ wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; [11] Behold, [I say], [how] they reward us³¹, to come to cast us³² out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. [12] O our God, wilt³³ thou not judge them? for we have³⁴ no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither³⁵ know we what to do: but our eyes³⁶ [are] upon thee. [13] And all Judah³⁷ stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

⥃The Prophecy of Jahaziel

[14] Then upon³⁸ 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 Spirit³⁹ of the Lord in the midst of the congregation; [15] And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid⁴⁰ nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle⁴¹ [is] not yours, but God’s. [16] To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff⁴² of Ziz⁴³; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook⁴⁴, before the wilderness⁴⁵ of Jeruel. [17] Ye shall not [need⁴⁶] to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye [still⁴⁷], 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 Lord⁴⁸ [will be] with you. [18] And Jehoshaphat bowed his head⁴⁹ with [his] face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before⁵⁰ the Lord, worshipping the Lord. [19] And the Levites⁵¹, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites⁵², stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud⁵³ voice on high.

⥃The Enemies Destroy Themselves

[20] And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa⁵⁴: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me⁵⁵, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord⁵⁶ your God, so shall ye be established; believe his⁵⁷ prophets, so shall ye prosper. [21] And when he had consulted⁵⁸ with the people, he appointed⁵⁹ singers unto the Lord, and that should praise⁶⁰ the beauty⁶¹ of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord⁶²; for his mercy [endureth] for ever.

[22] [¶]And when they⁶³ began to sing and to⁶⁴ praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten⁶⁵. [23] For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir⁶⁶, utterly to slay and destroy [them]: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another⁶⁷. [24] And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they [were] dead⁶⁸ bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped⁶⁹. [25] And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found⁷⁰ among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies⁷¹, and precious jewels⁷², 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 much⁷³.

⥃The Joyful Return

[26] [¶]And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah⁷⁴; for there they blessed⁷⁵ the Lord: therefore the name⁷⁶ of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day⁷⁷. [27] Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront⁷⁸ of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the Lord⁷⁹ had made them to rejoice over their enemies. [28] And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries⁸⁰ and harps and trumpets unto the house of the Lord. [29] And the fear⁸¹ of God was on all the kingdoms of [those] countries, when they had heard⁸² that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel. [30] So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God⁸³ gave him rest round about.

⥃Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign ^{[ 1 Kings 22:41–50 ]}

[31] And Jehoshaphat⁸⁴ 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.⁸⁵ [32] And he walked⁸⁶ in the way⁸⁷ of Asa his father, and departed not⁸⁸ from it, doing [that which was] right in the sight of the Lord. [33] Howbeit the high places⁸⁹ were not taken away: for as yet the people had not⁹⁰ prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers. [34] Now the rest⁹¹ of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they [are] written in the book⁹² of Jehu the son of Hanani⁹³, who [is] mentioned⁹⁴ in the book of the kings of Israel.

⥃Jehoshaphat’s Fleet Is Wrecked

[35] [¶]And after this did Jehoshaphat⁹⁵ king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very⁹⁶ wickedly:⁹⁷ [36] And he joined⁹⁸ himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish⁹⁹: and they made the ships in Ezion–geber¹⁰⁰. [37] Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because¹⁰¹ thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord¹⁰² hath broken thy works. And the ships¹⁰³ were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish¹⁰⁴.

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