1 AFTER these things were the children of Moab gathered together, and the children of Ammon, & with them of the Ammonites, to fight against Josaphat.📜💬📚

2 And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh against thee a great multitude from those places, which are beyond the sea, & out of Syria, & behold they stay in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.📜💬📚

3 And Josaphat being frighted with fear, he took him wholly to beseech our Lord, and he proclaimed a fast to all Juda.📜💬📚

4 And Judas was gathered together to pray to our Lord: yea and all came out of their cities to beseech him.📜💬📚

Jehoshaphat's Prayer

5 And when Josaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Juda, and Jerusalem in the house of our Lord before the new court,📜💬📚

6 he said: Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and rulest over all the Kingdoms of Nations, in thy hand is strength and might, neither can any man resist thee.📜💬📚

7 Didst not thou our God kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?📜💬📚

8 And they dwelt in it, and built in it a Sanctuary to thy name, saying:📜💬📚

9 If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, pestilence, and famine, we will stand before this house in thy sight, wherein thy name is invocated: and we will cry to thee in our tribulations, and thou shalt hear, and save us.📜💬📚

10 Now therefore behold the children of Ammon, and mount Seir, by whom thou didst not grant Israel to pass, they came out of AEgypt, but they declined from them, and slew them not:📜💬📚

11 do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession, which thou hast delivered to us.📜💬📚

12 Our God, wilt not thou therefore judge them? In us in deed there is not so great strength, that we can resist this multitude, which cometh violently upon us. But whereas we are ignorant what we ought to do, this only we have left, that we direct our eyes to thee.📜💬📚

13 And all Juda stood before our Lord with their little ones, and wives, and their children.📜💬📚

Prophecy of Jahaziel

14 And there was Jahaziel the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite of the children of Asaph, upon whom the spirit of our Lord came in the midst of the multitude,📜💬📚

15 and he said: Attend ye all Juda, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: thus saith our Lord to you: Fear not, neither dread ye this multitude: for it is not your battle, but God's.📜💬📚

16 To morrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up by the steep named Sis, and you shall find them in the utmost part of the torrent, which is against the wilderness of Jeruel.📜💬📚

17 It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand confidently, & you shall see the help of our Lord over you, O Juda, and Jerusalem: fear not, neither dread ye: to morrow you shall go out against them, & our Lord will be with you.📜💬📚

18 Josaphat therefore, and Juda, & all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell flat on the earth before our Lord & adored him.📜💬📚

19 Moreover the Levites of the children of Caath, & of the children of Core praised our Lord the God of Israel with a loud voice, on high.📜💬📚

Enemies Destroy Themselves

20 And when they had risen early in the morning, they went forth by the desert of Thecua: and they being gone forth, Josaphat standing in the midst of them, said: Hear me ye men of Juda, & all the inhabiters of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, & you shall be secure: believe his Prophets, & all things shall fall our prosperous.📜💬📚

21 He gave counsel also to the people, & appointed the singing men of our Lord, that they should praise him in their companies, & should go before the host, & with agreeable voice should say: Confess to our Lord, because his mercy is for ever.📜💬📚

22 And when they began to sing praises, our Lord turned their embushments upon themselves, to wit, of the children of Ammon, & of Moab, & of mount Seir, who were gone forth to fight against Juda, & were strucken.📜💬📚

23 For the children of Ammon, & of Moab, rose together against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to kill & destroy them: & when they had in work achieved this, being turned also against themselves, they fell wounded one of an other.📜💬📚

24 Moreover Juda when they were come to the watch place, that looketh to the desert, saw a far off all the country abroad full of dead bodies, and that none remained alive that could escape death.📜💬📚

25 Josaphat therefore came, & all the people with him to take away the spoils of the dead, & they found among the dead bodies, diverse stuff, garments also, & most precious vessels: & they spoiled it, so that they could not carry all things, nor in three days take away the spoils for the greatness of the prey.📜💬📚

Joyful Return

26 And in the fourth day they were assembled in the Vale of blessing: for because there they had blessed our Lord, they called that place the Vale of blessing until this present day.📜💬📚

27 And every man of Juda returned, & the inhabitants of Jerusalem, & Josaphat before them into Jerusalem with great joy, because our Lord had given them joy of their enemies.📜💬📚

28 And they entered into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets into the house of our Lord.📜💬📚

29 And the dread of our Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms of the lands when they heard that our Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.📜💬📚

30 And the Kingdom of Josaphat was quiet, and God gave him peace round about.📜💬📚

Summary of Jehoshaphat's Reign

31 Josaphat therefore reigned over Juda, and he was five and thirty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned five & twenty years in Jerusalem: & the name of his mother was Azuba the daughter of Selahi.📜💬📚

32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, neither declined he from it, doing the things that were pleasing before our Lord.📜💬📚

33 But yet the excelses he took not away, & as yet the people had not directed their heart to our Lord the God of their fathers.📜💬📚

34 But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, the first & the last are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani which he disposed into the Books of the kings of Israel.📜💬📚

Jehoshaphat's Fleet Is Wrecked

35 After these things Josaphat the king of Juda entered friendship with Ochozias the king of Israel, whose works were most impious.📜💬📚

36 And he was partaker to make ships, which should go into Tharsis: and they made a navy in Asiongaber.📜💬📚

37 And Eliezer the son of Dodau of Maresa prophesied to Josaphat, saying: Because thou hast had a league with Ochozias, our Lord hath strucken thy works, & the ships are broken, neither could they go into Tharsis.📜💬📚

Douay Rheims Original ↷

2 Chronicles 20 📜 📕 ↷