Jehoshaphat in his fear proclaimeth a fast.

1 ¶ It came to pass² after² this¹² also, [that] the childrenº of Moab,º and the childrenº of Ammon,º and with² them [other] beside² the Ammonites,º cameºª against² Jehoshaphatº to battle.º 2 Then there cameºª some that toldºª Jehoshaphat,º saying,ºª There comethºª a greatº multitudeº against² thee from beyondº² the seaº on this side Syria;º² and, behold,² they [be] in Hazazontamar,º which² [is] Engedi.º 3 And Jehoshaphatº feared,ºª and setºª² himselfº to seekºª the LORD,º and proclaimedºª a fastº throughoutº all² Judah.º 4 And Judahº gathered themselves together,ºª to askºª [help] of² the LORD:º even² out of all²² the citiesº of Judahº they cameºª to seekºª² the LORD.º

His prayer.

5 ¶ And Jehoshaphatº stoodºª in the congregationº of Judahº and Jerusalem,º in the houseº of the LORD,º beforeº the newº court,º 6 And said,ºª O LORDº Godº of our fathers,º [art] not² thou² Godº in heaven?º and rulestºª [not] thou² over all² the kingdomsº of the heathen?º and in thine handº [is there not] powerº and might,º so that none² is able to withstandºª² thee? 7 [Art] not² thou² our God,º [who] didst drive outºª² the inhabitantsºª of this² landº beforeº² thy peopleº Israel,º and gavestºª it to the seedº of Abrahamº thy friendºª for ever?º 8 And they dweltºª therein, and have builtºª thee a sanctuaryº therein for thy name,º saying,ºª 9 If,² [when] evilº comethºª upon² us, [as] the sword,º judgment,º or pestilence,º or famine,º we standºª beforeº this² house,º and in thy presence,º (for² thy nameº [is] in this² house,)º and cryºª unto² thee in our affliction,º² then thou wilt hearºª and help.ºª 10 And now,² behold,² the childrenº of Ammonº and Moabº and mountº Seir,º whom² thou wouldest not² letºª Israelº invade,ºª when they came² out¹ª of the landº² of Egypt,º but² they turnedºª from²² them, and destroyedºª them not;² 11 Behold,² [I say, how] they² rewardºª² us, to comeºª to cast us outºª of thy possession,º² which² thou hast given us to inherit.ºª 12 O our God,º wilt thou not² judgeºª them? for² we have no² mightº againstº this² greatº companyº that comethºª against² us; neither² knowºª weº what² to do:ºª but² our eyesº [are] upon² thee. 13 And all² Judahº stoodºª beforeº the LORD,º withº their little ones,º their wives,º and their children.º

The prophecy of Jahaziel.

14 ¶ Then upon² Jahazielº the sonº of Zechariah,º the sonº of Benaiah,º the sonº of Jeiel,º the sonº of Mattaniah,º a Leviteº of² the sonsº of Asaph,º came² the Spiritº of the LORDº in the midstº of the congregation;º 15 And he said,ºª Hearkenºª ye, all² Judah,º and ye inhabitantsºª of Jerusalem,º and thou kingº Jehoshaphat,º Thus² saithºª the LORDº unto you, Be not afraidºª²² nor² dismayedºª by reason¹ of²² this² greatº multitude;º for² the battleº [is] not² yours, but² God's.º 16 To morrowº go ye downºª against² them: behold,² they come upºª by the cliffº of Ziz;º and ye shall findºª them at the endº of the brook,º beforeº the wildernessº of Jeruel.º 17 Ye shall not² [need] to fightºª in thisº [battle]: set¹ª yourselves,² standºª ye [still], and seeºª² the salvationº of the LORDº with² you, O Judahº and Jerusalem:º fearºª not,² nor² be dismayed;ºª to morrowº go outºª againstº them: for the LORDº [will be] with² you. 18 And Jehoshaphatº bowed¹ª his head² with [his] faceº to the ground:º and all² Judahº and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalemº fellºª beforeº the LORD,º worshippingºª the LORD.º 19 And the Levites,º of the childrenº of² the Kohathites,º and of² the childrenº of the Korhites,º stood upºª to praiseºª the LORDº Godº of Israelº with a loudº voiceº on high.º

Jehoshaphat exhorteth the people, and setteth singers to praise the LORD.

20 ¶ And they rose earlyºª in the morning,º and went forthºª into the wildernessº of Tekoa:º and as they went forth,ºª Jehoshaphatº stoodºª and said,ºª Hearºª me, O Judah,º and ye inhabitantsºª of Jerusalem;º Believeºª in the LORDº your God,º so shall ye be established;ºª believeºª his prophets,º so shall ye prosper.ºª 21 And when he had consultedºª with² the people,º he appointedºª singersºª unto the LORD,º and that should praiseºª the beautyº of holiness,º as they went outºª beforeº the army,ºª and to say,ºª Praiseºª the LORD;º for² his mercyº [endureth] for ever.º

The great overthrow of the enemies.

22 ¶ And whenº they beganºª to singº and to praise,º the LORDº setºª ambushmentsºª against² the childrenº of Ammon,º Moab,º and mountº Seir,º which were comeºª against Judah;º and they were smitten.ºª 23 For the childrenº of Ammonº and Moabº stood upºª against² the inhabitantsºª of mountº Seir,º utterly to slayºª and destroyºª [them]: and when they had made an endºª of the inhabitantsºª of Seir,º every oneº helpedºª to destroyº another.º 24 And when Judahº cameºª toward² the watch towerºª¹ in the wilderness,º they lookedºª unto² the multitude,º and, behold,² they [were] dead bodiesº fallenºª to the earth,º and none² escaped.º 25 And when Jehoshaphatº and his peopleº cameºª to take awayºª² the spoilº of them, they foundºª among them in abundanceº both richesº with the dead bodies,º and precious¹² jewels,º which they stripped offºª for themselves, more thanº they could carry away:º and they were² threeº daysº in gatheringºª² of the spoil,º it² was so much.º

The people, having blessed God at Berachah, return in triumph.

26 ¶ And on the fourthº dayº they assembled¹ª themselves² in the valleyº of Berachah;º for² there² they blessedºª² the LORD:º therefore²²² the nameº of the same² placeº was called,ºª The valleyº of Berachah,º unto² this day.º 27 Then they returned,ºª every² manº of Judahº and Jerusalem,º and Jehoshaphatº in the forefrontº of them, to go againºª to² Jerusalemº with joy;º for² the LORDº had made them to rejoiceºª over their enemies.ºª² 28 And they cameºª to Jerusalemº with psalteriesº and harpsº and trumpetsº unto² the houseº of the LORD.º 29 And the fearº of Godº was² on² all² the kingdomsº of [those] countries,º when they had heardºª that² the LORDº foughtºª against² the enemiesºª of Israel.º 30 So the realmº of Jehoshaphatº was quiet:ºª for his Godº gave him restºª round about.º²

Jehoshaphat's reign.

31 ¶ And Jehoshaphatº reignedºª over² Judah:º [he was] thirtyº and fiveº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and he reignedºª twentyº and fiveº yearsº in Jerusalem.º And his mother'sº nameº [was] Azubahº the daughterº of Shilhi.º 32 And he walked¹ª² in the wayº of Asaº his father,º and departedºª not² from² it, doingºª [that which was] rightº in the sightº of the LORD.º 33 Howbeit² the high placesº were not² taken away:ºª for as yet² the peopleº had not² preparedºª their heartsº unto the Godº of their fathers.º 34 Now the restº of the actsº of Jehoshaphat,º firstº and last,º behold,² they [are] writtenºª in the bookº of Jehuº the sonº of Hanani,º who² [is] mentionedºª in² the bookº of the kingsº of Israel.º

His convoy of ships, which he made with Ahaziah, according to the prophecy of Eliezer, unhappily perished.

35 ¶ And afterº this² did Jehoshaphatº kingº of Judahº join¹ª himself² with² Ahaziahº kingº of Israel,º who² did¹ª very wickedly:ºª² 36 And he joinedºª himself with² him to makeºª shipsº to go¹ª² to Tarshish:º and they madeºª the shipsº in Eziongeber.º 37 Then Eliezerº the sonº of Dodavahº of Mareshahº² prophesiedºª against² Jehoshaphat,º saying,ºª Because thou hast joined¹ª thyself² with² Ahaziah,º the LORDº hath brokenºª² thy works.º And the shipsº were broken,ºª that they were not ableºª² to go¹ª² to² Tarshish.º