2 Chronicles, 20

1. Some time later, the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them the Meunites, advanced to war against Jehoshaphat.

1. After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Me-u'nites, came against Jehosh'aphat for battle.

2. Jehoshaphat received the following intelligence, 'A vast horde is advancing on you from the other side of the Sea, from Edom; they are already at Hazazon-Tamar, that is, En-Gedi.'

2. Some men came and told Jehosh'aphat, "A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Haz'azon-ta'mar" (that is, En-ge'di).

3. Jehoshaphat was alarmed and resolved to have recourse to Yahweh; he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

3. Then Jehosh'aphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4. So Judah assembled to seek help from Yahweh; to seek Yahweh they came from every town in Judah.

4. And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

5. Then, standing in the Temple of Yahweh in front of the new court among the assembled people of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat

5. And Jehosh'aphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

6. said, 'Yahweh, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven, and do you not rule all the kingdoms of the nations? Your power and might are such that no one can resist you.

6. and said, "O LORD, God of our fathers, art thou not God in heaven? Dost thou not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In thy hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee.

7. Did not you, our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this country for your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham, your friend, for ever?

7. Didst thou not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and give it for ever to the descendants of Abraham thy friend?

8. They have lived in it and built you a sanctuary there for your name,

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

9. saying, "If disaster, war, flood, pestilence or famine befall us, and we stand in front of this Temple, before you -- for your name is in this Temple -- and cry to you in our distress, then you will listen and rescue us."

9. `If evil comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee, for thy name is in this house, and cry to thee in our affliction, and thou wilt hear and save.'

10. 'Now see, the Ammonites and Moabites and the people of Mount Seir, whom you would not allow Israel to invade when they came out of Egypt -- on the contrary, Israel avoided them, and did not destroy them-

10. And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Se'ir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy --

11. see how they reward us, by coming to drive us out of your possession which you allotted to us!

11. behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

12. Our God, will you not pass sentence on them, since we are helpless against this vast horde about to attack us? Because we do not know what to do, we look to you.'

12. O our God, wilt thou not execute judgment upon them? For we are powerless against this great multitude that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon thee."

13. All Judah, including their families, wives and children, were standing before Yahweh,

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

14. when, 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, a member of the clan of Asaph,

14. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jaha'ziel the son of Zechari'ah, son of Benai'ah, son of Je-i'el, son of Mattani'ah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

15. who then cried, 'Listen, all Judah and you citizens of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Yahweh says this to you, "Do not be afraid, do not be daunted by this vast horde, for the war is not your affair but God's.

15. And he said, "Hearken, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehosh'aphat: Thus says the LORD to you, `Fear not, and be not dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours but God's.

16. Go down against them tomorrow; they are coming up by the Slope of Ziz and you will encounter them at the end of the ravine near the desert of Jeruel.

16. Tomorrow go down against them; behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz; you will find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeru'el.

17. You will not need to fight in this battle. Take up your position, stand firm, and see what salvation Yahweh has in store for you. Judah and Jerusalem, be fearless, be dauntless; march out against them tomorrow and Yahweh will be with you." '

17. You will not need to fight in this battle; take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Fear not, and be not dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you."

18. Jehoshaphat bowed his head, his face to the ground, and all Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem fell down before Yahweh to worship Yahweh.

18. Then Jehosh'aphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

19. Then the Levites -- both the Kohathites and Korahites -- stood up to praise Yahweh, God of Israel, at the top of their voices.

19. And the Levites, of the Ko'hathites and the Kor'ahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20. Early next morning they prepared to set out for the desert of Tekoa. As they were setting out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, 'Listen to me, Judah and you citizens of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God and you will be secure; believe in his prophets and you will be successful.'

20. And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Teko'a; and as they went out, Jehosh'aphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed."

21. Then, having conferred with the people, he appointed singers who were to praise Yahweh and go out ahead of the army in sacred vestments, singing Praise Yahweh, for his faithful love endures for ever!

21. And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him in holy array, as they went before the army, and say, "Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures for ever."

22. The moment they began their shouts of praise, Yahweh sprang an ambush on the Ammonites, Moabites and the people of Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and that was the end of them,

22. And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Se'ir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.

23. for the Ammonites and Moabites turned on the people of Mount Seir, and put them under the curse of destruction and then, having finished off the people of Seir, set to work slaughtering one another.

23. For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Se'ir, destroying them utterly, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Se'ir, they all helped to destroy one another.

24. When Judah reached the point overlooking the desert and looked towards the horde, there were nothing but corpses lying on the ground; no one escaped.

24. When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped.

25. When Jehoshaphat arrived to take the booty, they found quantities of cattle and innumerable possessions, clothes and valuables, which they seized for themselves; it was impossible to carry it, and it took them three days to collect it.

25. When Jehosh'aphat and his people came to take the spoil from them, they found cattle in great numbers, goods, clothing, and precious things, which they took for themselves until they could carry no more. They were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much.

26. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they blessed Yahweh -- hence the place was given the name Valley of Beracah, which it still has today.

26. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Bera'cah, for there they blessed the LORD; therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Bera'cah to this day.

27. Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat at their head as Yahweh had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.

27. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehosh'aphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.

28. To the sound of lyre, harp and trumpet they came to Jerusalem, to the Temple of Yahweh,

28. They came to Jerusalem, with harps and lyres and trumpets, to the house of the LORD.

29. and a panic from Yahweh seized all the neighbouring kings when they heard how Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel.

29. And the fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30. And henceforth Jehoshaphat's reign was undisturbed, for his God gave him peace all round.

30. So the realm of Jehosh'aphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about.

31. So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he came to the throne and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

31. Thus Jehosh'aphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azu'bah the daughter of Shilhi.

32. He followed the example of his father Asa undeviatingly, doing what Yahweh regards as right.

32. He walked in the way of Asa his father and did not turn aside from it; he did what was right in the sight of the LORD.

33. The high places, however, were not abolished; the people had still not set their hearts on the God of their ancestors.

33. The high places, however, were not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers.

34. The rest of the history of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, is written down in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are quoted in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

34. Now the rest of the acts of Jehosh'aphat, from first to last, are written in the chronicles of Jehu the son of Hana'ni, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

35. Afterwards, Jehoshaphat formed a partnership with Ahaziah king of Israel, which was very wrong of him.

35. After this Jehosh'aphat king of Judah joined with Ahazi'ah king of Israel, who did wickedly.

36. He joined him in building some ships to go to Tarshish; they built them at Ezion-Geber.

36. He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships in E'zion-ge'ber.

37. Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah then prophesied against Jehoshaphat as follows, 'Because you have become Ahaziah's partner, Yahweh has wrecked your efforts.' The ships were wrecked and were never fit to sail for Tarshish.

37. Then Elie'zer the son of Do-dav'ahu of Mare'shah prophesied against Jehosh'aphat, saying, "Because you have joined with Ahazi'ah, the LORD will destroy what you have made." And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.