19 Then King Je·hoshʹa·phat of Judah returned safely*+ to his own house* in Jerusalem. 2 Jeʹhu+ the son of Ha·naʹni+ the visionary went out to meet him and said to King Je·hoshʹa·phat: “Is it the wicked you should be helping,+ and is it those who hate Jehovah you should love?+ Because of this the indignation of Jehovah is against you. 3 Nevertheless, there are good things that have been found in you,+ because you cleared out the sacred poles* from the land and you have prepared your heart* to search for the true God.”+
4 Je·hoshʹa·phat continued living in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beʹer-sheʹba to the mountainous region of Eʹphra·im,+ to bring them back to Jehovah the God of their forefathers.+ 5 He also appointed judges throughout the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.+ 6 And he said to the judges: “Pay attention to what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for Jehovah, and he is with you when you pass judgment.+ 7 Now let the fear of Jehovah be upon you.+ Be careful about what you do, for with Jehovah our God there is no injustice,+ no partiality,+ no bribe-taking.”+
8 In Jerusalem also, Je·hoshʹa·phat appointed some of the Levites and the priests and some of the heads of the paternal houses of Israel to serve as judges for Jehovah and to settle legal cases for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.+ 9 And he commanded them: “This is what you should do in the fear of Jehovah, with faithfulness and a complete* heart: 10 Whenever your brothers living in their cities bring a legal case that involves the shedding of blood+ or a question about a law, a commandment, regulations, or judgments, you should warn them so that they may not become guilty before Jehovah; otherwise his indignation will come against you and your brothers. This is what you should do, so that you may not incur guilt. 11 Here is Am·a·riʹah the chief priest who is over you for every matter of Jehovah.+ Zeb·a·diʹah the son of Ishʹma·el is the leader of the house of Judah for every matter pertaining to the king. And the Levites will serve as officers for you. Be strong and act, and let Jehovah be with those who do what is good.”*+
20 Afterward the Moʹab·ites+ and the Amʹmon·ites,+ together with some of the Amʹmon·im,* came to wage war against Je·hoshʹa·phat. 2 So Je·hoshʹa·phat was told: “A large crowd has come against you from the region of the sea,* from Eʹdom,+ and there they are in Hazʹa·zon-taʹmar, that is, En-gedʹi.”+ 3 At that Je·hoshʹa·phat became afraid, and he resolved* to search for Jehovah.+ So he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah then gathered together to inquire of Jehovah;+ they came from all the cities of Judah to consult Jehovah.
5 Then Je·hoshʹa·phat stood up in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of Jehovah before the new courtyard, 6 and he said:
“O Jehovah the God of our forefathers, are you not God in the heavens;+ do you not have dominion over all the kingdoms of the nations?+ In your hand are power and might, and no one can stand against you.+ 7 O our God, did you not drive away the inhabitants of this land from before your people Israel and then give it as a lasting possession to the offspring* of your friend Abraham?+ 8 And they settled in it, and they built for you there a sanctuary for your name,+ saying, 9 ‘If disaster should come on us, whether by sword, adverse judgment, pestilence, or famine, let us stand before this house and before you (for your name is in this house)+ and call to you for help out of our distress, and may you hear and save us.’+ 10 Now here are the men of Amʹmon, Moʹab, and the mountainous region of Seʹir,+ whom you did not allow Israel to invade when they came out of the land of Egypt. They turned away from them and did not annihilate them.+ 11 Now they are repaying us by coming in to drive us out from your possession that you gave us as an inheritance.+ 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them?+ For we are powerless before this large crowd that is coming against us; and we do not know what we should do,+ but our eyes are toward you.”+
13 Meanwhile, all those of Judah were standing before Jehovah, along with their little ones, their wives, and their children.*
14 Then in the middle of the congregation, the spirit of Jehovah came upon Ja·ha·ziʹel son of Zech·a·riʹah son of Be·naiʹah son of Je·iʹel son of Mat·ta·niʹah the Levite of the sons of Aʹsaph. 15 He said: “Pay attention, all Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Je·hoshʹa·phat! Here is what Jehovah says to you, ‘Do not be afraid or be terrified because of this large crowd, for the battle is not yours but God’s.+ 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will be coming up by the pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley* before the wilderness of Je·ruʹel. 17 You will not need to fight this battle. Take your position, stand still,+ and see the salvation of Jehovah in your behalf.*+ O Judah and Jerusalem, do not be afraid or be terrified.+ Tomorrow go out against them, and Jehovah will be with you.’”+
18 At once Je·hoshʹa·phat bowed low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Jehovah to worship Jehovah. 19 Then the Levites who were descendants of the Koʹhath·ites+ and the Korʹah·ites rose up to praise Jehovah the God of Israel with a very loud voice.+
20 They rose up early the next morning and went out to the wilderness of Te·koʹa.+ As they went out, Je·hoshʹa·phat stood up and said: “Listen to me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Put faith in Jehovah your God so that you may be able to stand firm.* Put faith in his prophets,+ and you will be successful.”
21 After he consulted with the people, he appointed men to sing+ to Jehovah and to offer praise in holy adornment as they went out ahead of the armed men, saying: “Give thanks to Jehovah, for his loyal love endures forever.”+
22 When they began joyfully singing praises, Jehovah set an ambush against the men of Amʹmon, Moʹab, and the mountainous region of Seʹir who were invading Judah, and they struck each other down.+ 23 And the Amʹmon·ites and the Moʹab·ites turned against the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Seʹir+ to destroy and annihilate them; and when they finished with the inhabitants of Seʹir, they helped to destroy one another.+
24 But when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness+ and looked toward the crowd, there they saw their carcasses fallen to the ground;+ there were no survivors. 25 So Je·hoshʹa·phat and his people came to carry off the spoil from them, and they found among them an abundance of goods, clothing, and desirable articles, which they stripped off for themselves until they could carry no more.+ It took three days to carry off the spoil, for it was abundant. 26 On the fourth day they congregated together at the Valley* of Berʹa·cah, for there they praised* Jehovah. That is why they named that place Valley of Berʹa·cah*+—until today.
27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Je·hoshʹa·phat at their head, returned to Jerusalem with rejoicing, for Jehovah had made them rejoice over their enemies.+ 28 So they came into Jerusalem with stringed instruments, harps,+ and trumpets+ and went to the house of Jehovah.+ 29 And the dread of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Jehovah had fought against the enemies of Israel.+ 30 Thus the kingdom of Je·hoshʹa·phat had no disturbance, and his God continued to give him rest on every side.+