The Prayer of Jehoshaphat

¹ And it happened that afterward, the ⌞Moabites⌟,¹ the ⌞Ammonites⌟,² and some of the Meunites³ came against Jehoshaphat for war.

1. Literally “sons/children of Moab”
2. Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
3. The Hebrew term is difficult; it may also mean “Ammonim”

² And they came and reported it to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram,¹ is coming against you. Now behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi).

1. Or “Syria”

³ Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek Yahweh. And he called for a fast through all Judah.

⁴ And Judah assembled to seek after Yahweh; even from all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh.

⁵ Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of Yahweh before the new courtyard.

⁶ And he said, “O Yahweh, God of our ancestors,¹ are you not God in heaven? Now you rule in all the kingdoms of the nations, and in your hand are power and might, and there is none who can resist against you.

1. Or “fathers”

⁷ O, our God, did you yourself not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it to the descendants¹ of Abraham your friend forever?

1. Or “seed”

⁸ And they lived in it and built for you a sanctuary for your name in it, saying,

⁹ ‘If disaster, a sword, punishment, disease, or famine come upon us, we shall stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you out of our trouble, then you will hear and save us.’

¹⁰ And now, look, the people¹ of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir whom you did not allow Israel to come against when they came from Egypt, from whom they turned aside and did not destroy,

1. Or “sons”

¹¹ now behold, they are rewarding us by coming to dispossess us from your possession which you gave us as an inheritance.

¹² O our God, will you not judge them, for there is no power in us before this great multitude that is coming against us. Now we do not know what we shall do, for our eyes are upon you.”

¹³ And all Judah was standing before Yahweh, and also their little children, their wives, and their children.

¹⁴ Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite from the descendants¹ of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

1. Or “sons”

¹⁵ And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat, thus says Yahweh to you: ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

¹⁶ Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are coming up the ascent of Ziz. And you will find them at the end of the valley facing the desert of Jeruel.

¹⁷ There will be no need for you to fight in this battle. Take your stand! Stand and see the deliverance of Yahweh among you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out before them and Yahweh will be with you.’ ”

¹⁸ Then Jehoshaphat bowed his face¹ down to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before Yahweh to worship Yahweh.

1. Literally “nostrils”

¹⁹ Then the Levites, from the ⌞Kohathites⌟¹ and from the ⌞Korahites⌟² stood up to praise Yahweh the God of Israel with an exceedingly³ loud voice.

1. Literally “sons of the Kohathites”
2. Literally “sons of the Korahites”
3. Literally “above”

God Delivers Judah and Jerusalem

²⁰ And they rose up early in the morning and went out to the desert of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, and you shall be established! Believe in his prophets, and you shall succeed!”

²¹ And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed singers to Yahweh who were giving praise to the splendor of his holiness when they went out before the army. And they said, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for his loyal love is everlasting!”

²² And ⌞when⌟¹ they began with singing and praise, Yahweh set ambushes against the people² of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were coming against Judah. And they were defeated

1. Or “on time” or “at the time”
2. Or “sons”

²³ when the people¹ of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to destroy and demolish them. And when the inhabitants of Seir had made an end of them, each helped to destroy his comrade.

1. Or “sons”

²⁴ And Judah came against the watchtower of the wilderness. And they looked at the crowd, and behold, corpses were lying on the ground. There was none who had escaped.

²⁵ When Jehoshaphat came with his people to plunder their booty, they found among them in abundance possessions, corpses, and precious items. And they took plunder for themselves ⌞until they could carry no more⌟.¹ And they were three days in plundering the booty, for it was abundant.

1. Literally “until not carrying”

²⁶ And on the fourth day, they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, for there they blessed Yahweh. Therefore the name of that place is called the Valley of Berakah up to this day.

²⁷ And all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned, and Jehoshaphat was at their head in returning to Jerusalem with joy, for Yahweh caused them to rejoice over their enemies.

²⁸ And they came to Jerusalem with harps, stringed instruments, and trumpets to the house of Yahweh.

²⁹ And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the earth when they heard that Yahweh had fought against the enemies of Israel.

³⁰ So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at rest, since his God gave rest to him all around.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

³¹ So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign. And he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

³² And he walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, to do what was right in the eyes of Yahweh.

³³ Only the high places were not removed. The people still had not yet set their heart on the God of their ancestors.¹

1. Or “fathers”

³⁴ Now the rest of the words of Jehoshaphat, from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the chronicles¹ of Jehu the son of Hanani, which are recorded in the scroll of the kings of Israel.

1. Or “words”

³⁵ And afterward Jehoshaphat the king of Judah joined with Ahaziah the king of Israel, who acted wickedly.

³⁶ He joined with him to build ships to go to Tarshish. And they built the ships in Ezion Geber.

³⁷ Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because of your joining with Ahaziah, Yahweh will break down your works.” And the ships were destroyed and were not able to go to Tarshish.