Category: 2 Chronicles

Shemaiah’s Prophecy

1 When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.

2 But theLordsaid to Shemaiah, the man of God,

3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin:

4 ‘This is what theLordsays: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of theLordand did not fight against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

5 Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified various towns for the defense of Judah.

6 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa,

7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam,

8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph,

9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah,

10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These became the fortified towns of Judah and Benjamin.

11 Rehoboam strengthened their defenses and stationed commanders in them, and he stored supplies of food, olive oil, and wine.

12 He also put shields and spears in these towns as a further safety measure. So only Judah and Benjamin remained under his control.

13 But all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes of Israel sided with Rehoboam.

14 The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to serve theLordas priests.

15 Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat and calf idols he had made.

16 From all the tribes of Israel, those who sincerely wanted to worship theLord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to theLord, the God of their ancestors.

17 This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they supported Rehoboam son of Solomon, for during those years they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David and Solomon.

Rehoboam’s Family

18 Rehoboam married his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab son of Jesse.

19 Mahalath had three sons—Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

20 Later Rehoboam married another cousin, Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. Maacah gave birth to Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 Rehoboam loved Maacah more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and they gave birth to twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22 Rehoboam appointed Maacah’s son Abijah as leader among the princes, making it clear that he would be the next king.

23 Rehoboam also wisely gave responsibilities to his other sons and stationed some of them in the fortified towns throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin. He provided them with generous provisions, and he found many wives for them.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/11-0a30f269004fb3836ba71c06b65f5b58.mp3?version_id=116—

Egypt Invades Judah

1 But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of theLord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.

2 Because they were unfaithful to theLord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign.

3 He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses,and a countless army of foot soldiers, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians.

4 Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.

5 The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what theLordsays: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”

6 Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “TheLordis right in doing this to us!”

7 When theLordsaw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. I will not use Shishak to pour out my anger on Jerusalem.

8 But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”

9 So King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem. He ransacked the treasuries of theLord’s Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.

10 King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace.

11 Whenever the king went to the Temple of theLord, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.

12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, theLord’s anger was turned away, and he did not destroy him completely. There were still some good things in the land of Judah.

Summary of Rehoboam’s Reign

13 King Rehoboam firmly established himself in Jerusalem and continued to rule. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city theLordhad chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, a woman from Ammon.

14 But he was an evil king, for he did not seek theLordwith all his heart.

15 The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded inThe Record of Shemaiah the ProphetandThe Record of Iddo the Seer,which are part of the genealogical record. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other.

16 When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/12-03d8d3235abf3a2dc1c97f0985fe9660.mp3?version_id=116—

Abijah’s War with Jeroboam

1 Abijah began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel.

2 He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah,the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.

Then war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 Judah, led by King Abijah, fielded 400,000 select warriors, while Jeroboam mustered 800,000 select troops from Israel.

4 When the army of Judah arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim and shouted to Jeroboam and all Israel: “Listen to me!

5 Don’t you realize that theLord, the God of Israel, made a lasting covenantwith David, giving him and his descendants the throne of Israel forever?

6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a mere servant of David’s son Solomon, rebelled against his master.

7 Then a whole gang of scoundrels joined him, defying Solomon’s son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced and could not stand up to them.

8 “Do you really think you can stand against the kingdom of theLordthat is led by the descendants of David? You may have a vast army, and you have those gold calves that Jeroboam made as your gods.

9 But you have chased away the priests of theLord(the descendants of Aaron) and the Levites, and you have appointed your own priests, just like the pagan nations. You let anyone become a priest these days! Whoever comes to be dedicated with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of these so-called gods of yours!

10 “But as for us, theLordis our God, and we have not abandoned him. Only the descendants of Aaron serve theLordas priests, and the Levites alone may help them in their work.

11 They present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to theLordevery morning and evening. They place the Bread of the Presence on the holy table, and they light the gold lampstand every evening. We are following the instructions of theLordour God, but you have abandoned him.

12 So you see, God is with us. He is our leader. His priests blow their trumpets and lead us into battle against you. O people of Israel, do not fight against theLord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed!”

13 Meanwhile, Jeroboam had secretly sent part of his army around behind the men of Judah to ambush them.

14 When Judah realized that they were being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to theLordfor help. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

15 and the men of Judah began to shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah.

16 The Israelite army fled from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah in defeat.

17 Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses on them; 500,000 of Israel’s select troops were killed that day.

18 So Judah defeated Israel on that occasion because they trusted in theLord, the God of their ancestors.

19 Abijah and his army pursued Jeroboam’s troops and captured some of his towns, including Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their surrounding villages.

20 So Jeroboam of Israel never regained his power during Abijah’s lifetime, and finally theLordstruck him down and he died.

21 Meanwhile, Abijah of Judah grew more and more powerful. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, including his words and deeds, are recorded inThe Commentary of Iddo the Prophet.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/13-ccf48eb16e19128b85652e8031a39c0c.mp3?version_id=116—

Early Years of Asa’s Reign

1 When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years.

2 Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of theLordhis God.

3 He removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles.

4 He commanded the people of Judah to seek theLord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and his commands.

5 Asa also removed the pagan shrines, as well as the incense altars from every one of Judah’s towns. So Asa’s kingdom enjoyed a period of peace.

6 During those peaceful years, he was able to build up the fortified towns throughout Judah. No one tried to make war against him at this time, for theLordwas giving him rest from his enemies.

7 Asa told the people of Judah, “Let us build towns and fortify them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours because we sought theLordour God, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they went ahead with these projects and brought them to completion.

8 King Asa had an army of 300,000 warriors from the tribe of Judah, armed with large shields and spears. He also had an army of 280,000 warriors from the tribe of Benjamin, armed with small shields and bows. Both armies were composed of well-trained fighting men.

9 Once an Ethiopiannamed Zerah attacked Judah with an army of 1,000,000 menand 300 chariots. They advanced to the town of Mareshah,

10 so Asa deployed his armies for battle in the valley north of Mareshah.

11 Then Asa cried out to theLordhis God, “OLord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, OLordour God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. OLord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”

12 So theLorddefeated the Ethiopiansin the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled.

13 Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that they were unable to rally. They were destroyed by theLordand his army, and the army of Judah carried off a vast amount of plunder.

14 While they were at Gerar, they attacked all the towns in that area, and terror from theLordcame upon the people there. As a result, a vast amount of plunder was taken from these towns, too.

15 They also attacked the camps of herdsmen and captured many sheep, goats, and camels before finally returning to Jerusalem.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/14-8496757de5ea240e5c79e93b6b9a7e97.mp3?version_id=116—

Asa’s Religious Reforms

1 Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded,

2 and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! TheLordwill stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.

3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them.

4 But whenever they were in trouble and turned to theLord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.

5 “During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land.

6 Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem.

7 But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”

8 When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet,he took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and in the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar of theLord, which stood in front of the entry room of theLord’s Temple.

9 Then Asa called together all the people of Judah and Benjamin, along with the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them. For many from Israel had moved to Judah during Asa’s reign when they saw that theLordhis God was with him.

10 The people gathered at Jerusalem in late spring,during the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.

11 On that day they sacrificed to theLord700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle.

12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek theLord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.

13 They agreed that anyone who refused to seek theLord, the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or woman.

14 They shouted out their oath of loyalty to theLordwith trumpets blaring and rams’ horns sounding.

15 All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And theLordgave them rest from their enemies on every side.

16 King Asa even deposed his grandmotherMaacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole, broke it up, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

17 Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful throughout his life.

18 He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.

19 So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/15-bdb5fe2dd23eb1164a4a9d6a9c6f1967.mp3?version_id=116—

Final Years of Asa’s Reign

1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah.

2 Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of theLordand the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message:

3 “Let there be a treatybetween you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.”

4 Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah,and all the store cities in Naphtali.

5 As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and stopped all work on it.

6 Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah.

7 At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in theLordyour God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.

8 Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopiansand Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers?At that time you relied on theLord, and he handed them over to you.

9 The eyes of theLordsearch the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”

10 Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people.

Summary of Asa’s Reign

11 The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded inThe Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek theLord’s help but turned only to his physicians.

13 So he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

14 He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/16-c299b339ee9fca941c6660010d98ff4e.mp3?version_id=116—

Jehoshaphat Rules in Judah

1 Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next king. He strengthened Judah to stand against any attack from Israel.

2 He stationed troops in all the fortified towns of Judah, and he assigned additional garrisons to the land of Judah and to the towns of Ephraim that his father, Asa, had captured.

3 TheLordwas with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father’s early yearsand did not worship the images of Baal.

4 He sought his father’s God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel.

5 So theLordestablished Jehoshaphat’s control over the kingdom of Judah. All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so he became very wealthy and highly esteemed.

6 He was deeply committed tothe ways of theLord. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah.

7 In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his officials to teach in all the towns of Judah. These officials included Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah.

8 He sent Levites along with them, including Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah. He also sent out the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

9 They took copies of the Book of the Law of theLordand traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people.

10 Then the fear of theLordfell over all the surrounding kingdoms so that none of them wanted to declare war on Jehoshaphat.

11 Some of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.

12 So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful and built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah.

13 He stored numerous supplies in Judah’s towns and stationed an army of seasoned troops at Jerusalem.

14 His army was enrolled according to ancestral clans.

From Judah there were 300,000 troops organized in units of 1,000, under the command of Adnah.

15 Next in command was Jehohanan, who commanded 280,000 troops.

16 Next was Amasiah son of Zicri, who volunteered for theLord’s service, with 200,000 troops under his command.

17 From Benjamin there were 200,000 troops equipped with bows and shields. They were under the command of Eliada, a veteran soldier.

18 Next in command was Jehozabad, who commanded 180,000 armed men.

19 These were the troops stationed in Jerusalem to serve the king, besides those Jehoshaphat stationed in the fortified towns throughout Judah.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/17-67838f36d88058c1195fafc57e111d27.mp3?version_id=116—

Jehoshaphat and Ahab

1 Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter.

2 A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead.

3 “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah.

Jehoshaphat replied, “Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle.”

4 Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what theLordsays.”

5 So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”

They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory.”

6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of theLordhere? We should ask him the same question.”

7 The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult theLordfor us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”

8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

9 King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them.

10 One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what theLordsays: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”

11 All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for theLordwill give the king victory!”

12 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

13 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as theLordlives, I will say only what my God says.”

14 When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”

Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for you will have victory over them!”

15 But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for theLord?”

16 Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And theLordsaid, ‘Their master has been killed.Send them home in peace.’”

17 “Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me.”

18 Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what theLordsays! I saw theLordsitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left.

19 And theLordsaid, ‘Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’

“There were many suggestions,

20 and finally a spirit approached theLordand said, ‘I can do it!’

“‘How will you do this?’ theLordasked.

21 “And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’

“‘You will succeed,’ said theLord. ‘Go ahead and do it.’

22 “So you see, theLordhas put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For theLordhas pronounced your doom.”

23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. “Since when did the Spirit of theLordleave me to speak to you?” he demanded.

24 And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”

25 “Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash.

26 Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’”

27 But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that theLordhas not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Everyone mark my words!”

The Death of Ahab

28 So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead.

29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

30 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his chariot commanders: “Attack only the king of Israel! Don’t bother with anyone else.”

31 So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and theLordsaved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him.

32 As soon as the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.

33 An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horsesand get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of the chariot. “I’m badly wounded!”

34 The battle raged all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. In the evening, just as the sun was setting, he died.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/18-7199ca3aab1492b4960b31be90bdcb4c.mp3?version_id=116—

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah arrived safely home in Jerusalem,

2 Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. “Why should you help the wicked and love those who hate theLord?” he asked the king. “Because of what you have done, theLordis very angry with you.

3 Even so, there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God.”

4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people, traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, encouraging the people to return to theLord, the God of their ancestors.

5 He appointed judges throughout the nation in all the fortified towns,

6 and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please theLord. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case.

7 Fear theLordand judge with integrity, for theLordour God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”

8 In Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites and priests and clan leaders in Israel to serve as judgesfor cases involving theLord’s regulations and for civil disputes.

9 These were his instructions to them: “You must always act in the fear of theLord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart.

10 Whenever a case comes to you from fellow citizens in an outlying town, whether a murder case or some other violation of God’s laws, commands, decrees, or regulations, you must warn them not to sin against theLord, so that he will not be angry with you and them. Do this and you will not be guilty.

11 “Amariah the high priest will have final say in all cases involving theLord. Zebadiah son of Ishmael, a leader from the tribe of Judah, will have final say in all civil cases. The Levites will assist you in making sure that justice is served. Take courage as you fulfill your duties, and may theLordbe with those who do what is right.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/19-3f4b7d40b1dba0226aee42fa3c8fe17c.mp3?version_id=116—

War with Surrounding Nations

1 After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunitesdeclared war on Jehoshaphat.

2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edomis marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea.They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.)

3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged theLordfor guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting.

4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek theLord’s help.

5 Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of theLord.

6 He prayed, “OLord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!

7 O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham?

8 Your people settled here and built this Temple to honor your name.

9 They said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as war,plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’

10 “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did not destroy them.

11 Now see how they reward us! For they have come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an inheritance.

12 O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

13 As all the men of Judah stood before theLordwith their little ones, wives, and children,

14 the Spirit of theLordcame upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph.

15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what theLordsays: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16 Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel.

17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch theLord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for theLordis with you!”

18 Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping theLord.

19 Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise theLord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.

20 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in theLordyour God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”

21 After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to theLordand praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:

“Give thanks to theLord;

his faithful love endures forever!”

22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, theLordcaused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.

23 The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other.

24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.

25 King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing,and other valuables—more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all!

26 On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing,which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked theLordthere. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.

27 Then all the men returned to Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them, overjoyed that theLordhad given them victory over their enemies.

28 They marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets, and they proceeded to the Temple of theLord.

29 When all the surrounding kingdoms heard that theLordhimself had fought against the enemies of Israel, the fear of God came over them.

30 So Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

31 So Jehoshaphat ruled over the land of Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

32 Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the ways of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in theLord’s sight.

33 During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors.

34 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded inThe Record of Jehu Son of Hanani,which is included inThe Book of the Kings of Israel.

35 Some time later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah of Israel, who was very wicked.

36 Together they built a fleet of trading shipsat the port of Ezion-geber.

37 Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said, “Because you have allied yourself with King Ahaziah, theLordwill destroy your work.” So the ships met with disaster and never put out to sea.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/6/32k/2CH/20-8817de92b8d3bcf6d76761548bb21959.mp3?version_id=116—