2 Chronicles 20:1-17

1 After these things the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon, and with them Idumeans, were gathered together, and they came to Jehoshaphat, for to fight against him. (And after these things the Moabites, and the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites, were gathered together, and they came to Jehoshaphat, to fight against him.)

2 And messengers came, and showed this to Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude of those places that be beyond the sea, and of Syria, is come against thee; and lo! they stand together in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. (And messengers came, and told this to Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude from that place on the other side of the Dead Sea, yea, from Edom, hath come against thee; and lo! they stand together in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.)

3 Forsooth Jehoshaphat was afeared by dread, and gave himself all for to pray the Lord, and preached fasting to all Judah. (And Jehoshaphat was filled with fear, and gave his all to pray to the Lord, and preached a fast for all of Judah.)

4 And Judah was gathered together for to pray (to) the Lord, and also all men came from their cities for to beseech him.

5 And when Jehoshaphat had stood in the midst of the company of Judah and of Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new large place of the temple, (And when Jehoshaphat had stood in the middle of the congregation of Judah and of Jerusalem, in the House of the Lord, in front of the new courtyard of the Temple,)

6 he said, Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and thou art Lord of all (the) realms of folks; strength and power be in thine hand, and none may against-stand thee. (he said, Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and thou art Lord of all the kingdoms of the nations; strength and power be in thine hand, and no one can stand against thee.)

7 Whether not thou, our God, hast slain all the dwellers of this land before thy people Israel, and hast given it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend, [into] without end? (Hast not thou, our God, killed all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and hast thou not given it to the descendants of Abraham, thy friend, forevermore?)

8 And they dwelled therein, and builded therein a saintuary to thy name, and said, (And they lived here, and built a sanctuary in honour of thy name, and said,)

9 If evils come [up]on us, the sword of doom, pestilence, or hunger (yea, the sword, or judgement, or pestilence, or hunger), we shall stand before this house (into) without end in thy sight, in which house thy name is called (upon), and we shall cry to thee in our tribulations; and thou shalt hear us, and shalt make us safe.

10 Now therefore lo! the sons of Ammon, and of Moab, and the hill (country) of Seir, by whom thou grantedest not to the sons of Israel for to pass (through their lands), when they went out of Egypt, but they bowed away from them, and killed not them, (And so now lo! the Ammonites, and the Moabites, and those of the hill country of Seir, whom thou grantedest not to the Israelites to pass through their lands, when they went out of Egypt, but they turned away from them, and did not kill them,)

11 but (now) they do on the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession, which thou, our God, hast given to us;

12 therefore whether thou, Lord, shalt not deem them? Truly in us is not so great strength, that we may against-stand this multitude, that falleth in upon us; but since we know not what we ought to do, we, the residue, have this only, that we (ad)dress our eyes to thee. (and so shalt thou not judge them? Truly there is not in us so great a strength, that we can stand against this multitude, who falleth in against us; but since we know not what we ought to do, we, who remain, have only this, that we direct our eyes to thee.)

13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little children, and their wives, and with their free children.

14 And Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, was a deacon, and of the sons of Asaph, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord was made in the midst of the company, (And Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, was a Levite of the sons of Asaph, upon whom the Spirit of the Lord came in the middle of the congregation,)

15 and he said, All Judah, and ye that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou, king Jehoshaphat, perceive ye, or taketh heed, The Lord saith these things to you, Do not ye dread, neither be ye afeared of this multitude, for it is not your battle, but God's battle. (and he said, All Judah, and ye who live in Jerusalem, and thou, king Jehoshaphat, take heed, The Lord saith these things to you, Do not ye fear, nor be ye afraid of this multitude, for it is not your battle, but God's battle.)

16 Tomorrow ye shall go up against them; for they shall go up by the side of the hill, called Ziz by name, and ye shall find them in the height of the strand, that is against the wilderness of Jeruel. (Tomorrow ye shall go out against them; for they shall go up by the Ziz Pass, and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel.)

17 For it shall not be ye, that shall fight; but only stand ye trustily (For it shall not be ye, who shall fight; but only stand ye there with trust/in faith), and ye shall see the help of the Lord upon you. O! Judah and Jerusalem, do not ye dread, neither be ye afeared; tomorrow ye shall go out against them, and the Lord shall be with you.

2 Chronicles 20:1-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 20

Jehoshaphat having notice of a numerous army coming against him, 2Ch 20:1,2, betakes himself to fasting and prayer with his people, 2Ch 20:3-13, when they were immediately assured of victory by a prophet, which filled them with joy and thankfulness, 2Ch 20:14-21, and accordingly their enemies destroyed one another, and Jehoshaphat and his people returned to Jerusalem rejoicing and praising God, 2Ch 20:22-30, and the chapter is closed with an account of the latter part of Jehoshaphat's reign, 2Ch 20:31-37.