2. AikakirjaLuku 20

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Some time later the Moabites and the Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war on Jehoshaphat.
Messengers came and reported to Jehoshaphat: "A vast army is coming against you from beyond the Sea, from Edom. They are already at Hazazon Tamar"—that is, En Gedi.
Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he set himself to seek the LORD; he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
So Judah gathered to seek help from the LORD; from every town of Judah they came to seek him.
Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, at the house of the LORD, in front of the new courtyard,
and said: "LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.
Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
They have lived in it and have built you a sanctuary in it for your Name, saying,
'If disaster comes upon us—the sword of judgment, or plague, or famine—we will stand before this house and before you, for your Name is in this house. We will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear and save.'
But now here are the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whose land you would not let Israel invade when they came out of Egypt, so they turned aside from them and did not destroy them.
See how they repay us—coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as our inheritance.
Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast horde attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
All the men of Judah stood there before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
He said: "Listen, all Judah and you who live in Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says to you: Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this vast horde, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Tomorrow march down against them. They will be coming up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley, facing the wilderness of Jeruel.
You will not have to fight this battle. Take your positions, stand firm, and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, do not be dismayed. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."
Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the people of Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.
Then the Levites from the Kohathites and the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
Early in the morning they set out for the Desert of Tekoa. As they started out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and you who live in Jerusalem! Trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand firm; trust in his prophets, and you will succeed."
After consulting the people, he appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him in the splendor of holiness as they went out ahead of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his mercy endures forever."
As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
The Ammonites and Moabites turned on the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them; and when they had finished off the men of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
When the men of Judah came to the place overlooking the wilderness and looked toward the vast army, they saw only corpses lying on the ground; no one had escaped.
So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off the plunder, and they found among them a great amount of goods, clothing, and articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took them three days to collect it.
On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the LORD. That is why it is called the Valley of Berakah to this day.
Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.
They entered Jerusalem and went to the house of the LORD with harps and lyres and trumpets.
The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the surrounding lands when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.
And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.
So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn from it; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.
The high places, however, were not removed, and the people still had not set their hearts on the God of their fathers.
The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, are written in the annals of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel.
Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly.
He joined with him to build ships to go to Tarshish, and they built the ships at Ezion-geber.
Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD will break apart what you have made." So the ships were wrecked and could not sail to Tarshish.