1 And it happened after this {acharei-ken: temporal sequence} that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, and with them some of the Meunites {meha-ammonim: Meunite allied contingent}, came against Jehoshaphat for battle.
2 And they came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude {hamon: military threat} has come against you from beyond the sea, from Aram, and behold, they have reached Hazezon Tamar {bechatzetzon Tamar: palm grove region}—that is, En Gedi.”
3 And Jehoshaphat was afraid, and he set his face to seek the LORD {YHWH, Divine Protector}, and he proclaimed a fast {tzom: communal abstinence} throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah assembled to seek help from the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Deliverer}; also from all the cities {’ārēy: population centers} of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly {bikhal: public council} of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD {YHWH, Prayer-Hearing King}, before the new courtyard.
6 And he said, “O LORD God {YHWH Elohim, Supreme Ruler} of our fathers {avoteinu: ancestral lineage}, are You not He—God in the heavens? And You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In Your hand are power and might, and none can stand against You.”
7 Is it not You, our God {Eloheinu, Covenant Defender}, who drove out the inhabitants {yoshvei: original residents} of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham, Your friend, forever?
8 And they dwelt in it and built for You{YHWH, Sanctuary Recipient} a sanctuary{mikdash: holy place} in it for Your name, saying,
9 If calamity, sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine comes upon us, we will stand before this house and before You {YHWH, Listening Sovereign}, for Your name is in this house, and we will cry out to You in our distress {tzarah: intense pressure}, and You will hear and save.
10 And now, behold, the sons of Ammon {bnei-ammon: descendants of Lot}, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not permit Israel to enter {lavo: to go in or invade} when they came from the land of Egypt, for they turned aside from them and did not destroy them.
11 And behold, they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of Your {YHWH, Sovereign Owner} inheritance {yerushah: allotted portion}, which You have caused us to inherit.
12 Our God {Eloheinu, Covenant Protector} will You not judge them? For there is no strength {koach: capacity or might} in us before this great multitude that comes against us, and we do not know what we will do, but our eyes are upon You.
13 And all Judah stood before the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Defender}, with their little ones {tappam: smallest children}, their wives, and their sons.
14 And the Spirit of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Empowerer} came upon Jahaziel, son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the descendants of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly {qahal: gathered community}.
15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Mighty Deliverer} to you: Do not fear or be dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s {Elohim: Supreme Authority}.”
16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are going up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley {nakhal: narrow ravine}, facing the wilderness of Jeruel {Yeruel: highland region near Tekoa}.
17 It is not for you to fight in this battle {milchamah: armed engagement}; station yourselves, stand, and see the salvation of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Deliverer} with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or dismayed. Tomorrow, go out before them, and the LORD will be with you.
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face {appayim: posture of submission} to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD {YHWH, Worship Receiver} to worship Him.
19 Then the Levites, from among the sons of the Kohathites and from among the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD {YHWH, Worship Receiver}, the God of Israel {Elohei Yisrael, National Protector}, with an exceedingly loud voice {kol: sound projection}.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheikhem, Covenant Defender} and you will be established {te’amenu: made firm and confident}; believe in His prophets and you will succeed.”
21 And he consulted with the people and appointed singers to the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Guide} and praisers for the splendor of holiness {hadarat-qodesh: majestic sacredness}, as they went out before the vanguard, saying, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness endures forever.”
22 And at the time they began with joyful shouting and praise, the LORD {YHWH, Deliverer} set ambushers against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who were coming against Judah, and they were struck down {vayinnagefu: routed}.
23 The sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly destroy {le-hacharim: total devastation} and annihilate them. And when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped each man his companion toward destruction {mashchit: complete ruin}.
24 And Judah came to the watchtower {hamitzpeh: vantage post} overlooking the wilderness, and they turned toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground; and there was no survivor {pleitah: anyone left alive}.
25 And Jehoshaphat {Yehoshafat: God-judged} and his people came to plunder their spoil. And they found among them an abundance—property, corpses, and vessels of precious things {chamudot: objects highly desired}. They took for themselves more than they could carry, and they were three days gathering the plunder because it was so great.
26 And on the fourth day they assembled at the Valley of Berakhah {berakhah: blessing and praise}, for there they blessed the LORD {YHWH, Praise Receiver}. Therefore that name has endured as the Valley of Berakhah until this day.
27 And all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD {YHWH, Victory Giver} had caused them to rejoice {simcham: joyful triumph} over their enemies.
28 And they came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets {chatsotserot: ceremonial horns} to the house of the LORD {YHWH, Sanctuary Sovereign}.
29 And the fear of God {Elohim, Supreme Cause of Awe} was upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD {YHWH, Divine Warrior} fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, and his God {Elohim, Peace Giver} gave him rest on every side {misaviv: all surrounding borders}.
31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old {ben: age designation} when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah, daughter {bat: patrilineal identity} of Shilhi.
32 He walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it to do what is right {yashar: morally upright} in the eyes of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Evaluator}.
33 However, the high places {ha-bamot: cultic sites} were not removed, and the people still had not prepared their heart for the God {Elohei Avoteihem: Ancestral Covenant God} of their fathers.
34 And the remainder of the words of Jehoshaphat {Yehoshaphat: YHWH Judges}, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which he set down upon the book {sefer: official record} of the kings of Israel.
35 After this, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, allied himself {etchabbar: entered a mutual alliance} with Ahaziah, king of Israel, who acted wickedly {hirshia: committed moral guilt}.
36 And he joined himself with him to build ships {oniot: maritime vessels} for going to Tarshish, and they built the ships at Ezion-geber {etsion gaver: Red Sea port}.
37 And Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} has broken your works {ma‘ăšêkā: undertakings}.” As a result, the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish.