2 Chronicles 20 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Judah Invaded

1 Now it came ^H1961 about ^H1961 after ^H310 this ^H3651, that the sons ^H1121 of Moab ^H4124 and the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, together ^H5973 with ^H5973 some ^H4480 of the [fn]Meunites ^H4586, came ^H935 to make war ^H4421 against ^H5921 Jehoshaphat ^H3092.

2 Then some came ^H935 and reported ^H5046 to Jehoshaphat ^H3092, saying ^H559, “A great ^H7227 multitude ^H1995 is coming ^H935 against ^H5921 you from beyond ^H5676 the sea ^H3220, from [fn]Aram ^H758; and behold ^H2009, they are in Hazazon-tamar ^H2688 (that is Engedi ^H5872).” 3 Jehoshaphat ^H3092 was ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 and [fn]turned ^H5414 his attention ^H6440 to seek ^H1875 the LORD ^H3068; and he proclaimed ^H7121 a period ^H6685 of ^H6685 fasting ^H6685 throughout ^H5921 H3605 Judah ^H3063. 4 So Judah ^H3063 gathered ^H6908 together to seek ^H1245 help from the LORD ^H3068; they even ^H1571 came ^H935 from all ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063 to seek ^H1245 the LORD ^H3068.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

5 Then Jehoshaphat ^H3092 stood ^H5975 in the assembly ^H6951 of Judah ^H3063 and Jerusalem ^H3389, in the house ^H1004 of the LORD ^H3068 in front ^H6440 of the new ^H2319 courtyard ^H2691;

6 and he said ^H559, “LORD ^H3068, God ^H430 of our fathers ^H1, are You not God ^H430 in the heavens ^H8064? And are You not ruler ^H4910 over ^H5921 all ^H3605 the kingdoms ^H4467 of the nations ^H1471? Power ^H3581 and might ^H1369 are in Your hand ^H3027 so that no ^H369 one ^H369 can stand ^H3320 against ^H5973 You. 7 Did You not, our God ^H430, drive ^H3423 out ^H3423 the inhabitants ^H3427 of this ^H2088 land ^H776 from Your people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478, and give ^H5414 it to the descendants ^H2233 of Your friend ^H157 Abraham ^H85 forever ^H5769? 8 They have lived ^H3427 in it, and have built ^H1129 You a sanctuary ^H4720 in it for Your name ^H8034, saying ^H559, 9 ‘If ^H518 disaster ^H7451 comes ^H935 upon us, the sword ^H2719, or judgment ^H8196, or plague ^H1698, or famine ^H7458, we will stand ^H5975 before ^H6440 this ^H2088 house ^H1004 and before ^H6440 You (for Your name ^H8034 is in this ^H2088 house ^H1004), and cry ^H2199 out ^H2199 to You in our distress ^H6869, and You will hear ^H8085 and save ^H3467 us.’ 10 Now ^H6258 behold ^H2009, the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, Moab ^H4124, and [fn]Mount ^H2022 Seir ^H8165, whom ^H834 You did not allow ^H5414 Israel ^H3478 to invade ^H935 when they came ^H935 out of the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714 (for they turned ^H5493 aside ^H5493 from them and did not destroy ^H8045 them), 11 see ^H2009 how they are rewarding ^H1580 us by coming ^H935 to drive ^H1644 us out ^H1644 from Your possession ^H3425 which ^H834 You have given ^H3423 us as ^H3423 an ^H3423 inheritance ^H3423. 12 Our God ^H430, will You not judge ^H8199 them? For we are powerless ^H369 H3581 before ^H6440 this ^H2088 great ^H7227 multitude ^H1995 that is coming ^H935 against ^H5921 us; nor ^H3808 do we know ^H3045 what ^H4100 to do ^H6213, but our eyes ^H5869 are on You.”

13 All ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 was standing ^H5975 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068, with their infants ^H2945, their wives ^H802, and their children ^H1121.

Jahaziel Answers the Prayer

14 Then in the midst ^H8432 of the assembly ^H6951 the Spirit ^H7307 of the LORD ^H3068 came ^H1961 upon Jahaziel ^H3166 the son ^H1121 of Zechariah ^H2148, the son ^H1121 of Benaiah ^H1141, the son ^H1121 of Jeiel ^H3262, the son ^H1121 of Mattaniah ^H4983, the Levite ^H3881 of the sons ^H1121 of Asaph ^H623; 15 and he said ^H559, “Listen ^H7181, all ^H3605 you of Judah ^H3063 and the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem ^H3389, and King ^H4428 Jehoshaphat ^H3092: This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559 to you: ‘Do not fear ^H3372 or be dismayed ^H2865 because ^H4480 H6440 of this ^H2088 great ^H7227 multitude ^H1995, for the battle ^H4421 is not yours but God’s ^H430. 16 Tomorrow ^H4279, go ^H3381 down ^H3381 against ^H5921 them. Behold ^H2009, they will come ^H5927 up ^H5927 by the ascent ^H4608 of Ziz ^H6732, and you will find ^H4672 them at the end ^H5490 of the valley ^H5158 in front ^H6440 of the wilderness ^H4057 of Jeruel ^H3385. 17 You need not fight ^H3898 in this ^H2088 battle; take ^H3320 your position ^H3320, stand ^H5975 and watch ^H7200 the salvation ^H3444 of the LORD ^H3068 in ^H5973 your behalf ^H5973, Judah ^H3063 and Jerusalem ^H3389.’ Do not fear ^H3372 or be dismayed ^H2865; tomorrow ^H4279, go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to face ^H6440 them, for the LORD ^H3068 is with you.”

18 Jehoshaphat ^H3092 bowed ^H6915 his head with his face ^H639 to the ground ^H776, and all ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 and the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem ^H3389 fell ^H5307 down ^H5307 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068, worshiping ^H2331 the LORD ^H3068. 19 The Levites ^H3881, from the sons ^H1121 of the Kohathites ^H6956 and from the sons ^H1121 of the Korahites ^H7145, stood ^H6965 up ^H6965 to praise ^H1984 the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, with a very ^H4605 loud ^H1419 voice ^H6963.

Enemies Destroy Themselves

20 They rose ^H7925 early ^H7925 in the morning ^H1242 and went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the wilderness ^H4057 of Tekoa ^H8620; and when they went ^H3318 out, Jehoshaphat ^H3092 stood ^H5975 and said ^H559, “Listen ^H8085 to me, Judah ^H3063 and inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem ^H3389: Put ^H539 your trust ^H539 in the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 and you will endure ^H539. Put ^H539 your trust ^H539 in His prophets ^H5030, and succeed ^H6743.”

21 When he had consulted ^H3289 with the people ^H5971, he appointed ^H5975 those who sang ^H7891 to the LORD ^H3068 and those who praised ^H1984 Him in holy ^H6944 attire ^H1927, as they went ^H3318 out ^H3318 before ^H6440 the army ^H2502 and said ^H559, “Give ^H3034 thanks ^H3034 to the LORD ^H3068, for His faithfulness ^H2617 is everlasting ^H5769.” 22 When ^H6256 they began ^H2490 singing ^H7440 and praising ^H8416, the LORD ^H3068 set ^H5414 ambushes ^H693 against ^H5921 the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983, Moab ^H4124, and Mount ^H2022 Seir ^H8165, who had come ^H935 against Judah ^H3063; so they were struck ^H5062 down ^H5062. 23 For the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 and Moab ^H4124 rose ^H5975 up against ^H5921 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Mount ^H2022 Seir ^H8165, completely ^H8045 destroying ^H2763 them; and when they had finished ^H3615 with the inhabitants ^H3427 of Seir ^H8165, they helped ^H5826 to destroy ^H4889 one ^H376 another ^H7453.

24 When Judah ^H3063 came ^H935 to the watchtower ^H4707 of the wilderness ^H4057, they turned ^H6437 toward ^H413 the multitude ^H1995, and behold ^H2009, they were corpses ^H6297 lying ^H5307 on the ground ^H776, and there was no ^H369 survivor ^H6413. 25 When Jehoshaphat ^H3092 and his people ^H5971 came ^H935 to take ^H962 their spoils ^H7998, they found ^H4672 much ^H7230 among them, including goods ^H7399, [fn]garments ^H899, and valuable ^H2532 things ^H3627 which they took ^H5337 for themselves, more than ^H4480 they could carry ^H4853. And they were taking ^H962 the spoils ^H7998 for three ^H7969 days ^H3117 because ^H3588 there was so much ^H7227.

Triumphant Return to Jerusalem

26 Then on the fourth ^H7243 day ^H3117 they assembled ^H6950 in the Valley ^H6010 of Beracah ^H1294, for they blessed ^H1288 the LORD ^H3068 there ^H8033. Therefore ^H5921 H3651 they have named ^H7121 H8034 that place ^H4725 “The Valley ^H6010 of [fn]Beracah ^H1294” until ^H5704 today ^H3117. 27 Every ^H3605 man ^H376 of Judah ^H3063 and Jerusalem ^H3389 returned ^H7725, with Jehoshaphat ^H3092 at their head ^H7218, returning ^H7725 to Jerusalem ^H3389 with joy ^H8057, for the LORD ^H3068 had helped ^H8055 them to rejoice ^H8055 over ^H4480 their enemies ^H340. 28 They came ^H935 to Jerusalem ^H3389 with harps ^H5035, lyres ^H3658, and trumpets ^H2689, to the house ^H1004 of the LORD ^H3068. 29 And the dread ^H6343 of God ^H430 was on all ^H3605 the kingdoms ^H4467 of the lands ^H776 when they heard ^H8085 that the LORD ^H3068 had fought ^H3898 against ^H5973 the enemies ^H340 of Israel ^H3478. 30 So the kingdom ^H4438 of Jehoshaphat ^H3092 was ^H8252 at ^H8252 peace ^H8252, for his God ^H430 gave ^H5117 him rest ^H5117 on all ^H5439 sides ^H5439.

31 Now Jehoshaphat ^H3092 reigned ^H4427 over ^H5921 Judah ^H3063. He was thirty-five ^H7970 H2568 years ^H8141 old ^H1121 when he became ^H4427 king ^H4427, and he reigned ^H4427 in Jerusalem ^H3389 for twenty-five ^H6242 H2568 years ^H8141. And his mother’s ^H517 name ^H8034 was Azubah ^H5806 the daughter ^H1323 of Shilhi ^H7977. 32 He walked ^H1980 in the way ^H1870 of his father ^H1 Asa ^H609 and did not deviate ^H5493 from it, doing ^H6213 right ^H3477 in the sight ^H5869 of the LORD ^H3068. 33 The high ^H1116 places ^H1116, however ^H389, were not removed ^H5493; the people ^H5971 had not yet ^H5750 directed ^H3559 their hearts ^H3824 to the God ^H430 of their fathers ^H1.

34 Now the rest ^H3499 of the acts ^H1697 of Jehoshaphat ^H3092, first ^H7223 [fn]to last ^H314, behold ^H2009, they are written ^H3789 in the annals ^H1697 of Jehu ^H3058 the son ^H1121 of Hanani ^H2607, which ^H834 is [fn]recorded ^H5927 in the Book ^H5612 of the Kings ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478.

Alliance Displeases God

35 After ^H310 this ^H3651 Jehoshaphat ^H3092 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 allied ^H2266 himself with Ahaziah ^H274 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478. He acted ^H7561 wickedly ^H7561 [fn]in so doing ^H6213.

36 So he allied ^H2266 himself with him to make ^H6213 ships ^H591 to go ^H1980 to Tarshish ^H8659, and they made ^H6213 the ships ^H591 in Ezion-geber ^H6100. 37 Then Eliezer ^H461 the son ^H1121 of Dodavahu ^H1735 of Mareshah ^H4762 prophesied ^H5012 against ^H5921 Jehoshaphat ^H3092, saying ^H559, “Because you have allied ^H2266 yourself with Ahaziah ^H274, the LORD ^H3068 has destroyed ^H6555 your works ^H4639.” So the ships ^H591 were wrecked ^H7665 and could ^H6113 not go ^H1980 to Tarshish ^H8659.