2 Chronicles 20:1–18

Judah Invaded

¹Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the ^1aMeunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.

²Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of ¹Aram and behold, they are in ^aHazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).”

³Jehoshaphat was afraid and ^1aturned his attention to seek the Lord, and ^bproclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

⁴So Judah gathered together to ^aseek help from the Lord; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

⁵Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court,

⁶and he said, “O Lord, the God of our fathers, ^aare You not God in the heavens? And ^bare You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.

⁷“Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and ^agive it to the descendants of ^bAbraham Your friend forever?

⁸“They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying,

⁹‘^aShould evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for ^bYour name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.’

¹⁰“Now behold, ^athe sons of Ammon and Moab and ¹Mount Seir, ^bwhom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them),

¹¹see how they are rewarding us by ^acoming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance.

¹²“O our God, ^awill You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but ^bour eyes are on You.”

¹³All Judah was standing before the Lord, with their infants, their wives and their children.

Jahaziel Answers the Prayer

¹⁴Then in the midst of the assembly ^athe Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph;

¹⁵and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘^aDo not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for ^bthe battle is not yours but God’s.

¹⁶‘Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel.

¹⁷‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, ^astand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, ^bfor the Lord is with you.”

¹⁸Jehoshaphat ^abowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.