Jehoshaphat Defeats Moab and Ammon

20 After this, the Moabitesa and Ammonites with some of the Meunitesa b came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.

2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast armyc is coming against you from Edom,b from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamard” (that is, En Gedi).e 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fastf for all Judah. 4 The people of Judahg came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors,h are you not the God who is in heaven?i You rule over all the kingdomsj of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.k 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this landl before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?m 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuaryn for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine,o we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’

10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt;p so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possessionq you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them?r For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.s”

13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.

14 Then the Spiritt of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah,u a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.

15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouragedv because of this vast army. For the battlew is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and seex the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’ ”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed downy with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faithz in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.a” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of hisc holinessb as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,

for his love endures forever.”c

22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushesd against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonitese and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seirf to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.g

24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothingd and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. 26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakahe to this day.

27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.

29 The fearh of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had foughti against the enemies of Israel. 30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him restj on every side.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

20:31–21:1pp—1Ki 22:41–50

31 So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years…

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem

32:9–19pp—2Ki 18:17–35; Isa 36:2–20
32:20–21pp—2Ki 19:35–37; Isa 37:36–38

32 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacheribx king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself. 2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to wage war against Jerusalem,y 3 he consulted with his officials and military staff about blocking off the water from the springs outside the city, and they helped him. 4 They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springsz and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kingsa of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. 5 Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the walla and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terracesb b of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weaponsc and shields.

6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 7 “Be strong and courageous.d Do not be afraid or discouragede because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.f 8 With him is only the arm of flesh,g but with ush is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”i And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.

9 Later, when Sennacherib king of Assyria and all his forces were laying siege to Lachish,j he sent his officers to Jerusalem with this message for Hezekiah king of Judah and for all the people of Judah who were there:

10 “This is what Sennacherib king of Assyria says: On what are you basing your confidence,k that you remain in Jerusalem under siege? 11 When Hezekiah says, ‘The Lord our God will save us from the hand of the king of Assyria,’ he is misleadingl you, to let you die of hunger and thirst. 12 Did not Hezekiah himself remove this god’s high places and altars, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You must worship before one altarm and burn sacrifices on it’?

13 “Do you not know what I and my predecessors have done to all the peoples of the other lands? Were the gods of those nations ever able to deliver their land from my hand?n 14 Who of all the gods of these nations that my predecessors destroyed has been able to save his people from me? How then can your god deliver you from my hand? 15 Now do not let Hezekiah deceiveo you and mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliverp his people from my hand or the hand of my predecessors.q How much less will your god deliver you from my hand!”

16 Sennacherib’s officers spoke further against the Lord God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 The king also wrote lettersr ridiculings the Lord, the God of Israel, and saying this against him: “Just as the godst of the peoples of the other lands did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.” 18 Then they called out in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to terrify them and make them afraid in order to capture the city. 19 They spoke about the God of Jerusalem as they did about the gods of the other peoples of the world—the work of human hands.u

20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayerv to heaven about this. 21 And the Lord sent an angel,w who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.x

22 So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all others. He took care of themc on every side. 23 Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable giftsy for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Pride, Success and Death

32:24–33pp—2Ki 20:1–21; Isa 37:21–38; 38:1–8

24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.z 25 But Hezekiah’s heart was prouda and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrathb was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah repentedc of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.d

27 Hezekiah had very great wealth and honor,e and he made treasuries for his silver and gold and for his precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuables. 28 He also made buildings to store the harvest of grain, new wine and olive oil; and he made stalls for various kinds of cattle, and pens for the flocks. 29 He built villages and acquired great numbers of flocks …