1 ¶ It came to pass after this also that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon and with them others besides the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.

2 T hen some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, There comes a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, and from Syria; and, behold, they are in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).

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

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

4 A nd Judah gathered themselves together, to consult the LORD; and out of all the cities of Judah they came to consult the LORD.

So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

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

Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,

6 a nd said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in the heavens and dost thou not rule in all the kingdoms of the Gentiles? Is there not power and might in thy hand so that no one is able to withstand thee?

and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?

7 A rt not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and didst give it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend, for ever?

Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

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

And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,

9 I f evil comes upon us or the sword of judgment or pestilence or famine, we shall stand before this house and in thy presence (for thy name is in this house) and cry unto thee out of our tribulations, and thou wilt hear us and save us.

‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’

10 A nd now, behold, the sons of Ammon and of Moab and those of Mount Seir, whose land thou would not let Israel enter when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them;

And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them—

11 b ehold they reward us by coming to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; we do not know what to do; but our eyes are fixed upon thee.

O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

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

Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.

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;

Then the Spirit of the Lord came 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, in the midst of the assembly.

15 a nd he said, Hearken, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16 T omorrow ye shall go down against them; behold, they shall come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them next to the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.

17 Y e shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you. O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, neither be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD shall be with you.

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

18 T hen Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and likewise all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.

19 A nd the Levites, of the sons of the Kohath and of the sons of the Korah, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

20 ¶ And when they arose early in the morning and while they were going forth into the wilderness of Tekoa, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe the LORD your God, and ye shall be secure; believe his prophets, and ye shall be prospered.

So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”

21 A nd when he had consulted with the people, he appointed some to sing unto the LORD and to praise in the beauty of holiness, while the army went out and to say, Praise the LORD, for his mercy endures for ever.

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, For His mercy endures forever.”

22 A nd when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set the sons of Moab and those of Mount Seir to ambush the sons of Ammon, who were coming against Judah; and they smote one another.

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.

23 A nd the sons of Ammon and Moab rose 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, each one helped his companion to kill himself.

For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24 A nd when Judah came to the watch tower of the wilderness, they looked for the multitude, and, behold, they were fallen to the earth dead, for none had escaped.

So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

25 A nd when Jehoshaphat and his people came to spoil them, they found among them an abundance of riches and of dead bodies and clothing and precious vessels which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering in the spoil, it was so much.

When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much.

26 A nd on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD; therefore, they called the name of that place, The valley of Berachah, unto this day.

And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day.

27 T hen they returned, those of Judah and those of Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat at their head, to go again to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.

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

So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord.

29 A nd the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the land when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30 S o the kingdom of Jehoshaphat had rest, for his God gave him rest round about.

Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around. The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

31 ¶ Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah; he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

So Jehoshaphat was king 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 the daughter of Shilhi.

32 A nd he walked in the way of Asa, his father, and did not depart from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.

And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord.

33 W ith all this the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

34 N ow 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.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 A fter these things, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, joined himself with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who was given over to wickedness;

After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted very wickedly.

36 h e joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Eziongeber.

And he allied himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.

37 T hen Eliezer, the son of Dodavah of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD shall destroy thy works. And the ships were broken, and they were not able to go to Tarshish.

But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.