1After this, the Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites, declared war against Jehoshaphat. 2Then messengers came to Jehoshaphat, and said, “There is a vast army coming against you from beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and it is already in Hazazontamar, which is En-gedi.” 3This alarmed Jehoshaphat, and he determined to seek the LORD; and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4And they gathered from all the cities of Judah, to ask and seek help of the LORD. 5And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in front of the new court in the Temple of the LORD, 6And prayed, “O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? And is there not power and might in Your hand, so that none is able to stand against You? 7Are You not our God, Who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people, Israel, and gave it to the progeny of Your friend, Abraham, forever? 8And Your people lived in the land and have built you a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9‘When trouble comes upon us, such as the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine, if we stand before this Temple that bears Your name, and in Your presence, and cry out to You in our affliction, then You will hear and help’. 10And now, men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory You would not let Israel invade, when they came out of Egypt; and so they turned away from them, and did not destroy them; 11Look how they reward us, to come to drive us out of the possession which You have given us to inherit. 12O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great multitude that comes against us, nor do we know what to do; but we look to You.” 13Then all Judah stood before the LORD, with their wives, little ones, and children. 14Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph; 15And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says to you, ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed by this vast army; for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16March down against them tomorrow; they will be climbing up the pass by the cliff of Ziz; and you shall find them at the end of the gorge in the desert of Jeruel. 17You will not need to fight in this battle; but take up your positions, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD Who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, nor be dismayed; go out against them tomorrow; for the LORD will be with you.’” 18And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping Him. 19And the Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites, and of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice. 20So they rose early in the morning, and left for the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe and trust in the LORD your God, and you will be secure; believe His prophets, and you shall succeed.” 21And after consulting the people, he appointed men to sing unto the LORD, and to praise Him for His holy splendor, as they went out at the head of the army, saying, “Praise the LORD; for His mercy endures forever.” 22And when they began to sing and praise the LORD, the LORD caused the factions of Ammonites, Moabites, and Meunites (Mount Seir), who had invaded Judah, to begin fighting among themselves; and were routed. 23For the men of Ammon and Moab (suspected betrayal by) the inhabitants of Mount Seir, and the fighting against the inhabitants of Seir escalated and spread to where they utterly annihilated one another. 24And when Judah came to a lookout point in the wilderness, they saw only a multitude of dead bodies lying on the ground. None had survived. 25And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to gather the plunder, they found among them weapons, equipment, and an abundance of riches and precious jewels, which they took for themselves, even more than they could carry away; and they spent three days gathering the spoil, it was so much. 26Then on the fourth day, they assembled in the valley of Beracah; and there they blessed the LORD. Therefore, the name of the same place was called, “The Valley of Beracah” (valley of Blessing), unto this day. 27Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem, led by Jehoshaphat, returned to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28And they entered Jerusalem and went to the Temple of the LORD with psalteries, harps and trumpets 29And the fear of God spread across all the kingdoms of those countries, when they heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. 30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was at peace; for his God gave him rest all around. 31And so Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah; he was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 32And he walked in the way of Asa, his father, and did not depart from it, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 33However, the high places were not removed; and the people had not yet set their hearts firmly on the God of their fathers. 34Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, are written in the book of Jehu, son of Hanani, which are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel. 35And after all this, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, later made an alliance with Ahaziah, king of Israel, whose ways were very wicked. 36He joined him in building ships in Ezion-geber to go to Tarshish. 37Then Eliezer, son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made.” And the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to set sail for Tarshish. Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. 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