¹⁴The spirit of the Lord came upon a Levite who was present in the crowd. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah; he was a member of the clan of Asaph and was descended from Asaph through Mattaniah, Jeiel, and Benaiah. ¹⁵^*Jahaziel said, “Your Majesty and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord says that you must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you. ¹⁶^*Attack them tomorrow as they come up the pass at Ziz. You will meet them at the end of the valley that leads to the wild country near Jeruel. ¹⁷^*You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the Lord give you victory. People of Judah and Jerusalem, do not hesitate or be afraid. Go out to battle, and the Lord will be with you!”

¹⁸Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low, with his face touching the ground, and all the people bowed with him and worshipped the Lord. ¹⁹The members of the Levite clans of Kohath and Korah stood up and with a loud shout praised the Lord, the God of Israel.

²⁰Early the next morning the people went out to the wild country near Tekoa. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat addressed them with these words: “People of Judah and Jerusalem! Put your trust in the Lord your God, and you will stand firm. Believe what his prophets tell you, and you will succeed.” ²¹After consulting with the people, the king ordered some musicians to put on the robes they wore on sacred occasions and to march ahead of the army, singing: “Praise the Lord! His love is eternal!”

²²When they began to sing, the Lord threw the invading armies into a panic.

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Cross references

*20.15–17: Dt 20:1–4
*20.15–17: Dt 20:1–4
*20.15–17: Dt 20:1–4 20.17: Ex 14:13, 14