1 Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the 1So with Gr; Heb AmmonitesA1 Chr 4:41; 2 Chr 26:7Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of 1Another reading is EdomAram and behold, they are in AGen 14:7Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).” 3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and 1Lit set his faceA2 Chr 19:3turned his attention to seek the Loʀᴅ, and B1 Sam 7:6; Ezra 8:21proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to AJoel 1:14seek help from the Loʀᴅ; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Loʀᴅ.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Loʀᴅ before the new court, 6 and he said, “O Loʀᴅ, the God of our fathers, ADeut 4:39are You not God in the heavens? And B1 Chr 29:11are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. 7  “Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and AIs 41:8give it to the descendants of BJames 2:23Abraham Your friend forever? 8  “They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, 9 ‘A2 Chr 6:28-30Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for B2 Chr 6:20Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’ 10  “Now behold, A2 Chr 20:1, 22the sons of Ammon and Moab and 1I.e. EdomMount Seir, BNum 20:17-21whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), 11 see how they are rewarding us by APs 83:12coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. 12  “O our God, AJudg 11:27will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but BPs 25:15; 121:1, 2our eyes are on You.”

13 All Judah was standing before the Loʀᴅ, with their infants, their wives and their children.

14 Then in the midst of the assembly A2 Chr 15:1; 24:20the Spirit of the Loʀᴅ came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15 and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Loʀᴅ to you, ‘AEx 14:13; Deut 20:1-4; 2 Chr 32:7, 8Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for B1 Sam 17:47the battle is not yours but God’s. 16  ‘Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. 17  ‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, AEx 14:13stand and see the salvation of the Loʀᴅ on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, B2 Chr 15:2for the Loʀᴅ is with you.”

18 Jehoshaphat AEx 4:31bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Loʀᴅ, worshiping the Loʀᴅ. 19 The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Loʀᴅ God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, AIs 7:9put your trust in the Loʀᴅ your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” 21 When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Loʀᴅ and those who A1 Chr 16:29; Ps 29:2praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “B1 Chr 16:34Give thanks to the Loʀᴅ, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 22 When they began singing and praising, the Loʀᴅ A2 Chr 13:13set ambushes against the sons of B2 Chr 20:10Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were 1Lit struck downrouted. 23 For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, AJudg 7:22; 1 Sam 14:20they helped to destroy one another.

24 When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. 25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, 1So several ancient mss; others read corpsesgarments and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much.

26 Then on the fourth day they assembled in the valley of Beracah, for there they blessed the Loʀᴅ. Therefore they have named that place “The Valley of 1I.e. blessingBeracah” until today. 27 Every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head, returning to Jerusalem with joy, ANeh 12:43for the Loʀᴅ had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres and trumpets to the house of the Loʀᴅ. 29 And A2 Chr 14:14; 17:10the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Loʀᴅ had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, A2 Chr 14:6, 7; 15:15for his God gave him rest on all sides.

31 A1 Kin 22:41-43Now Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the Loʀᴅ. 33 A2 Chr 17:6The high places, however, were not removed; B2 Chr 19:3the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first 1Lit andto last, behold, they are written in the annals of A2 Chr 19:2Jehu the son of Hanani, which is 2Lit taken uprecorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

35 A1 Kin 22:48, 49After this Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel. He acted wickedly 1Lit to doin so doing. 36 So he allied himself with him to make ships to go A2 Chr 9:21to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Loʀᴅ has destroyed your works.” So the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.