Jehoshaphat Invaded by Moab
(Obadiah 1:1-14)
1It came to pass after thisalso, [that] the childrenof Moab,and the childrenof Ammon,and with them [other] beside the Ammonites,cameagainst Jehoshaphatto battle.2Then there camesome that toldJehoshaphat,saying,There cometha greatmultitudeagainst thee from beyondthe seaon this side Syria;and, behold, they [be] in Hazazontamar,which [is] Engedi.3And Jehoshaphatfeared,and sethimselfto seekthe LORD,and proclaimeda fastthroughoutall Judah.4And Judahgathered themselves together,to ask[help] of the LORD:even out of all the citiesof Judahthey cameto seekthe LORD.
Jehoshaphat's Prayer
5And Jehoshaphatstoodin the congregationof Judahand Jerusalem,in the houseof the LORD,beforethe newcourt,6And said,O LORDGodof our fathers,[art] not thou Godin heaven?and rulest[not] thou over all the kingdomsof the heathen?and in thine hand[is there not] powerand might,so that none is able to withstandthee?7[Art] not thou our God,[who] didst drive outthe inhabitantsof this landbeforethy peopleIsrael,and gavestit to the seedof Abrahamthy friendfor ever?8And they dwelttherein, and have builtthee a sanctuarytherein for thy name,saying,9If, [when] evilcomethupon us, [as] the sword,judgment,or pestilence,or famine,we standbeforethis house,and in thy presence,(for thy name[is] in this house,) and cryunto thee in our affliction,then thou wilt hearand help.10And now, behold, the childrenof Ammonand Moaband mountSeir,whom thou wouldest not letIsraelinvade,when they came outof the landof Egypt,but they turnedfrom them, and destroyedthem not;11Behold, [I say, how] they rewardus, to cometo cast us outof thy possession,which thou hast given us to inherit.12O our God,wilt thou not judgethem? for we have no mightagainstthis greatcompanythat comethagainst us; neither knowwewhat to do:but our eyes[are] upon thee.
13And all Judahstoodbeforethe LORD,withtheir little ones,their wives,and their children.
The Prophecy of Jahaziel
14Then upon Jahazielthe sonof Zechariah,the sonof Benaiah,the sonof Jeiel,the sonof Mattaniah,a Leviteof the sonsof Asaph,came the Spiritof the LORDin the midstof the congregation;15And he said,Hearkenye, all Judah,and ye inhabitantsof Jerusalem,and thou kingJehoshaphat,Thus saiththe LORDunto you, Be not afraidnor dismayedby reasonof this greatmultitude;for the battle[is] not yours, but God's.16To morrowgo ye downagainst them: behold, they come upby the cliffof Ziz;and ye shall findthem at the endof the brook,beforethe wildernessof Jeruel.17Ye shall not [need] to fightin this[battle]: setyourselves, standye [still], and seethe salvationof the LORDwith you, O Judahand Jerusalem:fearnot, nor be dismayed;to morrowgo outagainstthem: for the LORD[will be] with you.
18And Jehoshaphatbowedhis head with [his] faceto the ground:and all Judahand the inhabitantsof Jerusalemfellbeforethe LORD,worshippingthe LORD.19And the Levites,of the childrenof the Kohathites,and of the childrenof the Korhites,stood upto praisethe LORDGodof Israelwith a loudvoiceon high.
The Enemies Destroy Themselves
20And they rose earlyin the morning,and went forthinto the wildernessof Tekoa:and as they went forth,Jehoshaphatstoodand said,Hearme, O Judah,and ye inhabitantsof Jerusalem;Believein the LORDyour God,so shall ye be established;believehis prophets,so shall ye prosper.21And when he had consultedwith the people,he appointedsingersunto the LORD,and that should praisethe beautyof holiness,as they went outbeforethe army,and to say,Praisethe LORD;for his mercy[endureth] for ever.22And whenthey beganto singand to praise,the LORDsetambushmentsagainst the childrenof Ammon,Moab,and mountSeir,which were comeagainst Judah;and they were smitten.23For the childrenof Ammonand Moabstood upagainst the inhabitantsof mountSeir,utterly to slayand destroy[them]: and when they had made an endof the inhabitantsof Seir,every onehelpedto destroyanother.
24And when Judahcametoward the watch towerin the wilderness,they lookedunto the multitude,and, behold, they [were] dead bodiesfallento the earth,and none escaped.25And when Jehoshaphatand his peoplecameto take awaythe spoilof them, they foundamong them in abundanceboth richeswith the dead bodies,and preciousjewels,which they stripped offfor themselves, more thanthey could carry away:and they were threedaysin gatheringof the spoil,it was so much.
The People Return in Triumph
26And on the fourthdaythey assembledthemselves in the valleyof Berachah;for there they blessedthe LORD:therefore the nameof the same placewas called,The valleyof Berachah,unto this day.27Then they returned,every manof Judahand Jerusalem,and Jehoshaphatin the forefrontof them, to go againto Jerusalemwith joy;for the LORDhad made them to rejoiceover their enemies.28And they cameto Jerusalemwith psalteriesand harpsand trumpetsunto the houseof the LORD.29And the fearof Godwas on all the kingdomsof [those] countries,when they had heardthat the LORDfoughtagainst the enemiesof Israel.30So the realmof Jehoshaphatwas quiet:for his Godgave him restround about.
Summary of Jehoshaphat's Reign
(1 Kings 22:41-50;2 Chronicles 19:4-11)
31And Jehoshaphatreignedover Judah:[he was] thirtyand fiveyearsoldwhen he began to reign,and he reignedtwentyand fiveyearsin Jerusalem.And his mother'sname[was] Azubahthe daughterof Shilhi.32And he walkedin the wayof Asahis father,and departednot from it, doing[that which was] rightin the sightof the LORD.33Howbeit the high placeswere not taken away:for as yet the peoplehad not preparedtheir heartsunto the Godof their fathers.
34Now the restof the actsof Jehoshaphat,firstand last,behold, they [are] writtenin the bookof Jehuthe sonof Hanani,who [is] mentionedin the bookof the kingsof Israel.
Jehoshaphat's Convoy Perishes
35And afterthis did Jehoshaphatkingof Judahjoinhimself with Ahaziahkingof Israel,who didvery wickedly:36And he joinedhimself with him to makeshipsto goto Tarshish:and they madethe shipsin Eziongeber.37Then Eliezerthe sonof Dodavahof Mareshahprophesiedagainst Jehoshaphat,saying,Because thou hast joinedthyself with Ahaziah,the LORDhath brokenthy works.And the shipswere broken,that they were not ableto goto Tarshish.
