2 Chronicles, 20

1. 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.

1. After this the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites started to make war on Jehoshaphat.

2. 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.

2. Jehoshaphat received the following message, "A large army is advancing against you from Edom, from the other side of the sea; they are already at Hazaaon-tamar, that is, Engedi."

3. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

3. Jehoshaphat was frightened and prayed to Yahweh for guidance. Then he ordered that a fast be observed throughout the country.

4. 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.

4. Judah assembled to seek help from Yahweh; they came seeking Yahweh's guidance from every single town in Judah.

5. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

5. Then Jehoshaphat stood before this assembly of the people of Judah and Jerusalem in Yahweh's House, before the new court

6. 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?

6. and said, "Yahweh, God of our ancestors, are you not the God who dwells in heaven? Do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the world? Such power and might are in your hands that no one can oppose you.

7. [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?

7. Are you not our God, you who drove out the people who were living here before your people Israel and gave the land to the descendants of your friend Abraham forever?

8. And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

8. They have settled in it and built a sanctuary in it for your name,

9. 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.

9. saying, 'Should disaster strike us, or war, punishment, epidemic, or famine, then we shall stand before this house and before you, for your Name rests on this house. From the depths of our distress we shall cry to you, and you will hear and save us.'

10. 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;

10. Here now are the Ammonites and Moab and the folk of Seir. When Israel came out of the land of Egypt you would not let Israel invade them; instead, Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them,

11. Behold, [I say, how] they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

11. and this is how they reward us, by coming to drive us out of the possessions you have given us as our inheritance.

12. 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.

12. Will you, our God, not punish them, since we are helpless in the face of this large army that attacks us? We ourselves do not know what to do; but we look to you."

13. And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

13. All the men of Judah, even down to their youngest children and their wives, stood there at the House.

14. 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;

14. In the middle of the assembly the spirit of Yahweh came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah the Levite, one of the sons of Asaph.

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 afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle [is] not yours, but God's.

15. And he cried, "Listen all you men of Judah and you who live in Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Yahweh says this to you: You must not be discouraged or afraid to face this large army; this battle is not yours but God's.

16. 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.

16. March out against them tomorrow; they are coming up by the Slope of Ziz and you will come on them in the Valley of Soph, near the wilderness of Jeruel.

17. 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.

17. You will not need to fight there, but only take up your position, stand firm, and see what salvation Yahweh has in store for you. Judah and Jerusalem, be fearless, be dauntless; go out to battle tomorrow and Yahweh will be with you."

18. 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.

18. Jehoshaphat bent his head, his face to the ground, and all Judah with those who lived in Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh, worshiping him.

19. 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.

19. Then the Levites - Kohathites and Korahites - began praising Yahweh the God of Israel at the top of their voices.

20. 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.

20. They rose early in the morning and left for the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were setting out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me Judah and all who live in Jeru-salem! Put your trust in Yahweh your God and you will stand your ground; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."

21. 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.

21. Then, having held a conference with the people, he ordered some musicians to put on the robes they wore on sacred occasions and to march at the head of the army, to sing praises to him: "Give praise to Yahweh, for his love is everlasting."

22. 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.

22. As they began to sing their joy and their praise, Yahweh threw the invading armies into a panic and completely destroyed them. The Moabites and the Ammonites struck the people of Seir and there was a disaster.

23. 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.

23. For the Ammonites and Moabites turned on the mountain folk of Seir in savage fighting and after they had destroyed them, they began to kill one another.

24. 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.

24. When the men of Judah reached the spot that looks out on the wilderness and turned to face the enemy, they found only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

25. 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.

25. Jehoshaphat came with his troops to plunder them, and found quantities of cattle, goods, clothing and valuables; they collected more than they could take away; the loot was so plentiful that they were three days gathering it.

26. 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.

26. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah; and there they did indeed praise Yahweh for all he had done. Because of this, this Valley was named the Valley of Beracah which it is still called.

27. 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.

27. Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin, with Jehoshaphat at their head, went back joyfully to Jerusalem, for Yahweh had filled them with joy at the expense of their enemies.

28. And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.

28. To the music of harp and lyre and trumpet they came to Jerusalem and to Yahweh's House.

29. 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.

29. When the kingdoms of foreign countries heard how Yahweh had defeated Israel's enemies, they were all terrified.

30. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.

30. In the meantime, the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was calm, and God granted him peace on every side.

31. 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.

31. Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.

32. 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.

32. He followed the example of his father Asa without wavering, doing what is right in the eyes of Yahweh.

33. Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

33. The High places however, were not destroyed; the people had still not turned their hearts to the God of their ancestors.

34. 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.

34. The rest of the history of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, is recorded in the Annals of Jehu son of Hanani which have been transcribed into the Book of the Kings of Israel.

35. And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:

35. After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who led him into evil ways.

36. And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongeber.

36. He combined with him to build big ships that would sail to Tarshish. These were built at Eziongeber.

37. 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.

37. Eliezer, son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, then made a prophecy against Jehoshaphat, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, Yahweh has destroyed your plans." In fact the ships broke up and were never fit to sail to Tarshish.