2 Chronicles 20:1-23

Jehoshaphat's Prayer

1 After this ¹the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,^[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle.

2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,^[b] from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in ²Hazazon-tamar" (that is, ³Engedi).

3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face ⁴to seek the LORD, and ⁵proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

6 and said, "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not ⁶God in heaven? You ⁷rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. ⁸In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you.

7 Did you not, our God, ⁹drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of ¹⁰Abraham your friend?

8 And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying,

9 ¹¹'If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment,^[c] or pestilence, or famine, ¹²we will stand before this house and before you--¹³for your name is in this house--and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.'

10 And now behold, the men of ¹⁴Ammon and Moab and ¹⁵Mount Seir, whom ¹⁶you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, ¹⁷and whom they avoided and did not destroy--

11 behold, they reward us ¹⁸by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit.

12 O our God, will you not ¹⁹execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but ²⁰our eyes are on you."

13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

14 And ²¹the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.

15 And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD to you, ²²'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, ²³for the battle is not yours but God's.

16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of ²⁴the valley, east of the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 ²⁵You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.'²⁶Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, ²⁷and the LORD will be with you."

18 Then Jehoshaphat ²⁸bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

19 And the Levites, of the ²⁹Kohathites and the ³⁰Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into ³¹the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! ³²Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed."

21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the LORD and praise him ³³in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say, ³⁴"Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever."

22 And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ³⁵an ambush against the men of ³⁶Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.

23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, ³⁷they all helped to destroy one another.

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