1 After these things the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, together with some of the Ammonites, came to make war on Jehoshaphat.
2 Messengers came and informed Jehoshaphat, "A vast horde is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria. They are already at Hazazon-tamar," that is, En-gedi.
3 Jehoshaphat was frightened and resolved to seek the LORD, and he called for a fast throughout Judah.
4 Judah came together to ask the LORD for help; people came from every city of Judah to seek the LORD.
5 Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
6 and prayed: "LORD God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over every kingdom of the nations. Power and strength are in your hand, and no one can hold out against you.
7 Our God, did you not drive out the people living in this land before your people Israel and give it to the seed of Abraham your friend for all time?
8 They settled in it and built a sanctuary in it for your name, saying,
9 'If evil comes upon us, sword, judgment, plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this house and before you, for your name is in this house, and we will cry to you in our trouble, and you will hear and rescue us.'
10 Look now at the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. You did not allow Israel to invade them when they came out of Egypt; instead they went around them and did not wipe them out.
11 And look how they reward us: they are coming to throw us out of your possession, which you gave us as our inheritance.
12 Our God, will you not bring judgment on them? We are powerless before this vast horde coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes look to you."
13 All Judah was standing before the LORD, along with their little ones, wives, and children.
14 Then, in the middle of the assembly, the Spirit of the LORD came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph's sons.
15 He said, "Pay attention, all Judah, people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not fear and do not lose heart because of this vast horde, for the battle does not belong to you but to God.
16 Go down against them tomorrow. They will be coming up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will meet them at the end of the valley, facing the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation the LORD will bring you, Judah and Jerusalem.' Do not fear and do not lose heart. Go out against them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you."
18 Jehoshaphat knelt down with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the people of Jerusalem fell before the LORD and worshiped him.
19 Then the Levites from the Kohathites and the Korahites rose to praise the LORD God of Israel at the top of their voices.
20 Early in the morning they set out for the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were setting out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Believe in the LORD your God and you will be made secure; believe his prophets and you will prosper."
21 After taking counsel with the people, he appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him in holy splendor as they marched ahead of the troops, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love lasts forever."
22 The moment they started the shouts of joy and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were beaten.
23 The children of Ammon and Moab turned on the people of Mount Seir to devote them to destruction and wipe them out, and when they had finished off the people of Seir, they helped one another to their own destruction.
24 When Judah reached the lookout point over the wilderness, they turned toward the horde, and there were dead bodies lying on the ground; not one had escaped.
25 Jehoshaphat and his people came to collect the plunder and found among them plenty of goods, dead bodies, and valuable objects, more than they could carry off. It took three days to collect the plunder, there was so much.
26 On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Beracah, because there they blessed the LORD. That is why the place is still called the Valley of Beracah.
27 Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them, went back to Jerusalem rejoicing, for the LORD had given them joy over their enemies.
28 They entered Jerusalem and came to the house of the LORD with harps, lyres, and trumpets.
29 A dread of God came over all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard how the LORD had fought Israel's enemies.
30 So Jehoshaphat's kingdom was at peace, for his God gave him rest on every side.
31 Jehoshaphat ruled over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
32 He followed the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the LORD's eyes.
33 But the high places were not taken away, and the people had still not fixed their hearts on the God of their fathers.
34 The rest of Jehoshaphat's deeds, from beginning to end, are recorded in the words of Jehu son of Hanani, which were taken up into the book of the kings of Israel.
35 Later Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, whose conduct was wicked.
36 He joined with him to build ships to sail to Tarshish, and they built the ships at Ezion-geber.
37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat: "Because you made an alliance with Ahaziah, the LORD will break up your works." The ships were wrecked and could not sail to Tarshish.