2 Chronik 20

1After this the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them of the Ammonites, were gathered together to fight against Josaphat.

2And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea, and out of Syria, and behold they are in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.

3And Josaphat being seized with fear betook himself wholly to pray to the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Juda.

4And Juda gathered themselves together to pray to the Lord: and all came out of their cities to make supplication to him.

5And Josaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Juda, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court,

6And said: O Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and rulest over all the kingdoms and nations, in thy hand is strength and power, and no one can resist thee.

7Didst not thou our God kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

8And they dwelt in it, and built in it a sanctuary to thy name, saying:

9If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in thy presence before this house, in which thy name is called upon: and we will cry to thee in our afflictions, and thou wilt hear, and save us.

10Now therefore behold the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and mount Seir, through whose lands thou didst not allow Israel to pass, when they came out of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and slew them not,

11Do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession which thou hast delivered to us.

12O our God, wilt thou not then judge them? as for us we have not strength enough, to be able to resist this multitude, which cometh violently upon us. But as we know not what to do, we can only turn our eyes to thee.

13And all Juda stood before the Lord with their little ones, and their wives, and their children.

14And Jahaziel the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, was there, upon whom the spirit of the Lord came in the midst of the multitude,

15And he said: Attend ye, all Juda, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: Thus saith the Lord to you: Fear ye not, and be not dismayed at this multitude: for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16Tomorrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up by the ascent named Sis, and you shall find them at the head of the torrent, which is over against the wilderness of Jeruel.

17It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand with confidence, and you shall see the help of the Lord over you, O Juda, and Jerusalem: fear ye not, nor be you dismayed: tomorrow you shall go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.

18Then Josaphat, and Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell hat on the ground before the Lord, and adored him.

19And the Levites of the sons of Caath, and of the sons of Core praised the Lord the God of Israel with a loud voice, on high.

20And they rose early in the morning, and went out through the desert of Thecua: and as they were marching, Josaphat standing in the midst of them, said: Hear me, ye men of Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be secure: believe his prophets, and all things shall succeed well.

21And he gave counsel to the people, and appointed the singing men of the Lord, to praise him by their companies, and to go before the army, and with one voice to say: Give glory to the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.

22And when they began to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushments upon themselves, that is to say, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who were come out to fight against Juda, and they were slain.

23For the children of Ammon, and of Moab, rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of them, they turned also against one another, and destroyed one another.

24And when Juda came to the watch tower, that looketh toward the desert, they saw afar off all the country, for a great space, full of dead bodies, and that no one was left that could escape death.

25Then Josaphat came, and all the people with him to take away the spoils of the dead, and they found among the dead bodies, stuff of various kinds, and garments, and most precious vessels: and they took them for themselves, insomuch that they could not carry all, nor in three days take away the spoils, the booty was so great.

26And on the fourth day they were assembled in the valley of Blessing: for there they blessed the Lord, and therefore they called that place the valley of Blessing until this day.

27And every man of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem returned, and Josaphat at their head, into Jerusalem with great joy, because the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.

28And they came into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets into the house of the Lord.

29And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30And the kingdom of Josaphat was quiet, and God gave him peace round about.

31And Josaphat reigned over Juda, and he was five and thirty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem: and the name of his mother was Azuba the daughter of Selahi.

32And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and departed not from it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.

33But yet he took not away the high places, and the people had not yet turned their heart to the Lord the God of their fathers.

34But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, first and last, are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which he digested into the books of the kings of Israel.

35After these things Josaphat king of Juda made friendship with Ochozias king of Israel, whose works were very wicked.

36And he was partner with him in making ships, to go to Tharsis: and they made the ships in Asiongaber.

37And Eliezer the son of Dodau of Maresa prophesied to Josaphat, saying: Because thou hast made a league with Ochozias, the Lord hath destroyed thy works, and the ships are broken, and they could not go to Tharsis.

1Post hæc congregati sunt filii Moab et filii Ammon, et cum eis de Ammonitis, ad Josaphat, ut pugnarent contra eum.

2Veneruntque nuntii, et indicaverunt Josaphat, dicentes: Venit contra te multitudo magna de his locis quæ trans mare sunt, et de Syria: et ecce consistunt in Asasonthamar, quæ est Engaddi.

3Josaphat autem timore perterritus, totum se contulit ad rogandum Dominum, et prædicavit jejunium universo Juda.

4Congregatusque est Judas ad deprecandum Dominum: sed et omnes de urbibus suis venerunt ad obsecrandum eum.

5Cumque stetisset Josaphat in medio cœtu Juda et Jerusalem, in domo Domini ante atrium novum,

6ait: Domine Deus patrum nostrorum, tu es Deus in cælo, et dominaris cunctis regnis gentium: in manu tua est fortitudo et potentia, nec quisquam tibi potest resistere.

7Nonne tu, Deus noster, interfecisti omnes habitatores terræ hujus coram populo tuo Israël, et dedisti eam semini Abraham amici tui in sempiternum?

8Habitaveruntque in ea, et exstruxerunt in illa sanctuarium nomini tuo, dicentes:

9Si irruerint super nos mala, gladius judicii, pestilentia, et fames, stabimus coram domo hac in conspectu tuo, in qua invocatum est nomen tuum: et clamabimus ad te in tribulationibus nostris, et exaudies, salvosque facies.

10Nunc igitur, ecce filii Ammon, et Moab, et mons Seir, per quos non concessisti Israël ut transirent quando egrediebantur de Ægypto, sed declinaverunt ab eis, et non interfecerunt illos,

11e contrario agunt, et nituntur ejicere nos de possessione quam tradidisti nobis.

12Deus noster, ergo non judicabis eos? in nobis quidem non est tanta fortitudo, ut possimus huic multitudini resistere, quæ irruit super nos. Sed cum ignoremus quid agere debeamus, hoc solum habemus residui, ut oculos nostros dirigamus ad te.

13Omnis vero Juda stabat coram Domino cum parvulis, et uxoribus, et liberis suis.

14Erat autem Jahaziel filius Zachariæ filii Banaiæ filii Jehiel filii Mathaniæ, Levites de filiis Asaph, super quem factus est spiritus Domini, in medio turbæ,

15et ait: Attendite, omnis Juda, et qui habitatis Jerusalem, et tu, rex Josaphat: hæc dicit Dominus vobis: Nolite timere, nec paveatis hanc multitudinem: non est enim vestra pugna, sed Dei.

16Cras descendetis contra eos: ascensuri enim sunt per clivum nomine Sis, et invenietis illos in summitate torrentis qui est contra solitudinem Jeruel.

17Non eritis vos qui dimicabitis, sed tantummodo confidenter state, et videbitis auxilium Domini super vos, o Juda et Jerusalem: nolite timere, nec paveatis: cras egrediemini contra eos, et Dominus erit vobiscum.

18Josaphat ergo, et Juda, et omnes habitatores Jerusalem ceciderunt proni in terram coram Domino, et adoraverunt eum.

19Porro Levitæ de filiis Caath et de filiis Core laudabant Dominum Deum Israël voce magna in excelsum.

20Cumque mane surrexissent, egressi sunt per desertum Thecue: profectisque eis, stans Josaphat in medio eorum, dixit: Audite me, viri Juda, et omnes habitatores Jerusalem: credite in Domino Deo vestro, et securi eritis: credite prophetis ejus, et cuncta evenient prospera.

21Deditque consilium populo, et statuit cantores Domini ut laudarent eum in turmis suis, et antecederent exercitum, ac voce consona dicerent: Confitemini Domino quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.

22Cumque cœpissent laudes canere, vertit Dominus insidias eorum in semetipsos, filiorum scilicet Ammon, et Moab, et montis Seir, qui egressi fuerant ut pugnarent contra Judam: et percussi sunt.

23Namque filii Ammon et Moab consurrexerunt adversum habitatores montis Seir, ut interficerent et delerent eos: cumque hoc opere perpetrassent, etiam in semetipsos versi, mutuis concidere vulneribus.

24Porro Juda, cum venisset ad speculam quæ respicit solitudinem, vidit procul omnem late regionem plenam cadaveribus, nec superesse quemquam qui necem potuisset evadere.

25Venit ergo Josaphat, et omnis populus cum eo, ad detrahenda spolia mortuorum: inveneruntque inter cadavera variam supellectilem, vestes quoque, et vasa pretiosissima, et diripuerunt ita ut omnia portare non possent, nec per tres dies spolia auferre præ prædæ magnitudine.

26Die autem quarto congregati sunt in Valle benedictionis: etenim quoniam ibi benedixerant Domino, vocaverunt locum illum Vallis benedictionis usque in præsentem diem.

27Reversusque est omnis vir Juda, et habitatores Jerusalem, et Josaphat ante eos, in Jerusalem cum lætitia magna, eo quod dedisset eis Dominus gaudium de inimicis suis.

28Ingressique sunt in Jerusalem cum psalteriis, et citharis, et tubis in domum Domini.

29Irruit autem pavor Domini super universa regna terrarum cum audissent quod pugnasset Dominus contra inimicos Israël.

30Quievitque regnum Josaphat, et præbuit ei Deus pacem per circuitum.

31Regnavit igitur Josaphat super Judam, et erat triginta quinque annorum cum regnare cœpisset: viginti autem et quinque annis regnavit in Jerusalem, et nomen matris ejus Azuba filia Selahi.

32Et ambulavit in via patris suis Asa, nec declinavit ab ea, faciens quæ placita erant coram Domino.

33Verumtamen excelsa non abstulit, et adhuc populus non direxerat cor suum ad Dominum Deum patrum suorum.

34Reliqua autem gestorum Josaphat priorum et novissimorum scripta sunt in verbis Jehu filii Hanani, quæ digessit in libros regum Israël.

35Post hæc iniit amicitias Josaphat rex Juda cum Ochozia rege Israël, cujus opera fuerunt impiissima.

36Et particeps fuit ut facerent naves quæ irent in Tharsis: feceruntque classem in Asiongaber.

37Prophetavit autem Eliezer filius Dodau de Maresa ad Josaphat, dicens: Quia habuisti fœdus cum Ochozia, percussit Dominus opera tua, contritæque sunt naves, nec potuerunt ire in Tharsis.

1After these things, the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and with them some from the Ammonites, gathered together so that they might fight against him.

2And messengers arrived and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying: “A great multitude has arrived against you, from those places that are across the sea, and from Syria. And behold, they are standing together at Hazazon-tamar, which is Engedi.”

3Then Jehoshaphat, being terrified with fear, gave himself entirely to petitioning the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all of Judah.

4And Judah gathered together to pray to the Lord. Moreover, everyone from their cities came to beseech him.

5And when Jehoshaphat had stood up in the midst of the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new atrium,

6he said: “O Lord, God of our fathers, you are God in heaven, and you rule over all the kingdoms of the Gentiles. In your hand is strength and power, and no one is able to withstand you.

7Did not you, our God, put to death all the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel? And you gave it to the offspring of your friend Abraham, for all time.

8And they lived in it. And they built a Sanctuary to your name in it, saying:

9‘If evils will have fallen upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in your sight before this house, in which your name is invoked, and we will cry out to you in our tribulations. And you will heed us and accomplish our salvation.’

10Now therefore, behold the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and mount Seir, through whose lands you did not permit Israel to cross when they were departing from Egypt. Instead, they turned aside from them, and they did not put them to death.

11They are doing the contrary, and they are striving to cast us from the possession which you delivered to us.

12Therefore, will you, our God, not judge them? Certainly, in us there is not enough strength so that we would be able to withstand this multitude, which rushes against us. But although we do not know what we ought to do, we have this alone remaining, that we direct our eyes to you.”

13Truly, all of Judah was standing before the Lord with their little ones and wives and children.

14But there was Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from the sons of Asaph, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord went, in the midst of the crowd.

15And he said: “Pay attention, all of Judah, and you who live in Jerusalem, and you, king Jehoshaphat. Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid. Neither should you be dismayed by this multitude. For the fight is not yours, but God’s.

16Tomorrow, you shall descend against them. For they will ascend along the incline named Ziz, and will find them at the summit of the torrent, which is opposite the wilderness of Jeruel.

17It will not be you who will fight. Instead, only stand with confidence, and you will see the help of the Lord over you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid. Neither should you be dismayed. Tomorrow you shall go forth against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

18Then Jehoshaphat, and Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell prone on the ground before the Lord, and they adored him.

19And the Levites from the sons of Kohath, and from the sons of Korah, were praising the Lord, the God of Israel, with a great voice, on high.

20And when they had risen up in the morning, they went out through the desert of Tekoa. And as they were setting out, Jehoshaphat, standing in their midst, said: “Listen to me, men of Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be secure. Believe in his prophets, and everything will come to prosperity.”

21And he gave counsel to the people. And he appointed the singing men of the Lord, so that they would praise him by their companies, and so that they would go before the army, and with one voice say: “Confess to the Lord. For his mercy is eternal.”

22And when they had begun to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushes upon themselves, that is, those of the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who had gone forth so that they might fight against Judah. And they were struck down.

23For the sons of Ammon and of Moab rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, so that they might slay and destroy them. And when they had perpetrated this work, now also turning upon themselves, they cut one another with wounds.

24Then, when Judah had gone to the high point that looks out toward the desert, they saw, from far away, the entire wide region filled with dead bodies. Neither was there anyone who was left alive and had been able to escape death.

25Therefore, Jehoshaphat went, and all the people with him, in order to take away the spoils of the dead. And they found, among the dead bodies, diverse equipment, and also garments, and very precious vessels. And they despoiled these, to such an extent that they were unable to carry everything. Neither could they, over three days, take away the spoils because of the magnitude of the plunder.

26Then, on the fourth day, they were gathered together in the Valley of Blessing. For they had blessed the Lord there, and therefore they called that place the Valley of Blessing, even to the present day.

27And every man of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, returned, with Jehoshaphat before them, to Jerusalem, with great rejoicing. For the Lord had granted to them gladness concerning their enemies.

28And they entered into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets, into the house of the Lord.

29Then the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands, when they had heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

30And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet. And God granted to him peace on all sides.

31And so Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. And he was thirty-five years old when he had begun to reign. Then he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

32And he walked in the way of his father, Asa, and he did not decline from it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.

33Yet truly, he did not take away the high places, and the people still had not directed their heart to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

34But the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, have been written in the words of Jehu, the son of Hanani, which he digested into the books of the kings of Israel.

35After these things, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, formed a friendship with Ahaziah, the king of Israel, whose works were very impious.

36And he was a partner in the making of ships, which would go to Tarshish. And they made the fleet at Eziongeber.

37Then Eliezer, the son of Dodavahu, from Mareshah, prophesied to Jehoshaphat, saying: “Because you have made a pact with Ahaziah, the Lord has struck your works, and the ships have been broken, and they have not been able to go to Tarshish.”