2 Chronicles 20

1 After this [following these events], the Moabites [descendants of Lot] and Ammonites [sons of Lot], together with some of the Meunites [people of the Meun area], came [approached, marched] to make war [engage in battle, fight] against Jehoshaphat [Jehovah has judged, king of Judah]. word study 2 Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat [the king of Judah], “A vast [great, large] army [multitude, crowd] is coming against you [to attack, to fight] from Edom [a region southeast of Judah], from beyond the Sea [the Dead Sea, the western sea]; they are already in Hazazon-tamar [the same as En-gedi, a place in the desert of Judah]” (that is, En-gedi [a town on the western shore of the Dead Sea]). word study 3 Jehoshaphat [was seized with fear, became very afraid] was alarmed and set his face [presence, being in front of] to seek [to ask, worship, or inquire of] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. And he proclaimed [called out, announced] a fast [to go without food, abstain] throughout [upon, all over] Judah [the tribe, region, or people]. word study 4 So the people of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] gathered [assembled, came together] to seek [search for, inquire of] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], and indeed [also, even], they came from all [every] the cities [towns, settlements] of Judah [the region where the tribe lived] to seek [request help from, search for] Him [Yehovah]. word study 5 Then Jehoshaphat [the Lord has judged] stood [in a strong sense] in the assembly [congregation, group of people gathered together] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] and Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine] in the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] in front of [before the presence, face to face with] the new [recently created, renewed] courtyard [court, open space] word study 6 and said, “O LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], God [Elohim, the supreme Ruler] of our fathers, are You not the God [the Almighty, sovereign over all] who is in heaven [the spiritual realm, the throne of God], and do You not rule [exercise dominion, reign supreme] over all the kingdoms [nations, territories] of the nations [Gentiles, non-Hebrew peoples]? Power [strength, ability] and might [authority, capability] are in Your hand [under Your control, at Your disposal], and no one can stand [resist, oppose] against You [in Your presence, before Your throne]. word study 7 Our God [Elohim, the one supreme God], did You not [as in the days of old] drive out [dispossess, cast out] the inhabitants [those dwelling, residents] of this land [the promised territory, Canaan] before Your people [nation, descendants] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob] and give [bestow, grant] it forever [for all eternity, perpetually] to the descendants [seed, offspring] of Abraham [the father of faith] Your friend [beloved, one loved by God]? word study 8 They have lived [dwelt, remained] in the land [as inhabitants, settlers] and have built [established, constructed] in it a sanctuary [holy place, temple] for Your Name [Your identity, reputation], saying [speaking, declaring], word study 9 ‘If disaster [calamity, evil] comes upon us—whether sword [war, judgment] or judgment [punishment, verdict], plague [pestilence, disease] or famine [hunger, scarcity]—we will stand [position ourselves, take a stand] before this temple [house of worship, sacred place] and before You, for Your Name [reputation, character] is in this temple. We will cry out [call out, shout] to You in our distress [affliction, trouble], and You will hear [listen, attend to] us and save [rescue, deliver] us.’ word study 10 And now [at this present time, in this moment], here are the men [sons, descendants] of Ammon [a son of Lot], Moab [a land and people descended from Lot], and Mount Seir [a mountain in Idumaea, meaning hairy or shaggy], whom You did not let [permit, allow] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] invade [go in against, attack] when they came out [emerged, departed] of the land [earth, country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]; but Israel turned away [removed, departed] from them and did not [refused to, chose not to] destroy [desolate, annihilate] them. word study 11 See how [they are treating us in return] they are repaying us [rewarding, recompensing] by coming [to approach, to attack] to drive us out [to expel, to cast out] of the possession [inheritance, heritage] that You gave us [caused us to inherit, delivered to us] as an inheritance [a gift, a legacy]. word study 12 Our God [Elohim, the supreme One], will You not [absolutely refuse to] judge them [execute vengeance upon them, punish them]? For we are [completely] powerless [without strength, helpless] before this vast army [great multitude, huge crowd] that comes against us [marches towards us, approaches us]. We do not know [are completely unaware, have no understanding] what to do [how to act, what action to take], but our eyes [our gaze, our attention] are upon You [fixed on You, looking to You].” word study 13 Meanwhile all [the entire tribe, every single one] the men of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, a son of Jacob], with their wives [women, female partners] and children [little ones, young ones] and little ones [infants, babies], were standing [in reverence, before the presence] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. word study 14 Then the Spirit [the divine breath] of the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] came upon Jahaziel [beheld of God] son of Zechariah [Jehovah remembers], the son of Benaiah [Jehovah has built], the son of Jeiel [God will cast], the son of Mattaniah [gift of Jehovah], a Levite [a descendant of Levi, a priestly tribe] from Asaph’s [gatherer] descendants, as he stood in the midst [the center, the heart] of the assembly [the congregation, the gathered people]. word study 15 And he said, “Listen [hearken, pay attention], all you people of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace]! Listen, King Jehoshaphat [a king of Judah known for his piety]! This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: ‘Do not be afraid [fear not, do not be terrified] or discouraged [dismayed, broken in spirit] because of this vast army [great multitude, large crowd], for the battle [war, conflict] does not belong to you, but to God [Elohim, the supreme ruler]. word study 16 Tomorrow [the next day, after this time] you are to march down [go down, descend] against them. You will see them coming up [ascending, going up] the Ascent [upward slope, climb] of Ziz [a mountain pass], and you will find [discover, encounter] them at the end [conclusion, termination] of the valley [low area of land, brook] facing [in the presence of, before] the Wilderness [desert, uninhabited land] of Jeruel [taught by God, a place of divine instruction]. word study 17 You need not [will not have to] fight this battle [against your enemies]. Take up your positions [be stationed], stand firm [be steadfast, unwavering], and see the salvation [deliverance, victory] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] on your behalf, O Judah [the tribe of Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace]. Do not be afraid [fearful, intimidated] or discouraged [dismayed, broken]. Go out and face them tomorrow [in the future, at a later time], for the LORD [Yehovah, the Redeemer] is with you [by your side, in your midst].’” word study 18 Then Jehoshaphat [bowed his head with his face to the ground, prostrated himself] bowed facedown, and all [the inhabitants of, every person in] the people of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] and Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital city] fell down [to the ground, prostrating themselves] before the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] to worship [bow down, pay homage to] Him. word study 19 And the Levites [descendants of Levi, from the tribes of Kohath and Korah] from the Kohathites [a family group in the tribe of Levi] and Korahites [a group of people descended from Korah] stood up [rose to their feet, to praise and worship] to praise [to celebrate, to give thanks] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the one supreme God] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, and his descendants], shouting [with a loud voice, in a very loud tone] in a very loud [exceedingly loud, on high] voice. word study 20 Early [at the break of day] in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness [desert or open field] of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me [listen to and obey], O people of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace]. Believe [have faith, trust] in the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] your God [Elohim, the supreme Creator], and you will be upheld [established, secure]; believe in His prophets [those who speak for God], and you will succeed [prosper, have success].” word study 21 Then Jehoshaphat consulted [took counsel, discussed with] with the people and appointed those who would sing [make melody, praise] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and praise [celebrate, give thanks for] the splendor [beauty, adornment] of His holiness [set-apart nature, sanctity]. As they went out [came out, marched] before the army [armed men, warriors], they were singing: “Give thanks [praise, acknowledge] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], for His loving devotion [kindness, mercy] endures [lasts, continues] forever [always, for eternity].” word study 22 The moment [at the exact time, when they began] they began their shouts [loud cries, ringing voices] and praises [songs of thanksgiving, hymns], the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] set ambushes [liars-in-wait, surprise attacks] against the men of Ammon [the son of Lot], Moab [the land of the descendants of Lot], and Mount Seir [the mountain of the original inhabitants, the hairy or shaggy ones] who had come [approached, invaded] against Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], and they were defeated [struck, smitten, overcome]. word study 23 The Ammonites [sons of Lot, a neighboring nation] and Moabites [descendants of Lot, a related people] rose up [stood in opposition, to attack] against the inhabitants [dwellers, residents] of Mount Seir [a mountain in Idumaea, a region of Edom], devoting [to utterly destroy, to dedicate to destruction] them to destruction [annihilation, ruin]. And when they had made an end [finished, completed] to the inhabitants [people, population] of Seir [the original inhabitants, the Edomites], they helped [assisted, aided] to destroy [to devastate, to kill] one another [each other, their own allies]. word study 24 When the men of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, son of Jacob] came to a place [watchtower, lookout point] overlooking the wilderness [desert, open field], they looked for the vast army [multitude, crowd], but there were only corpses [dead bodies, fallen ones] lying on the ground [land, earth]; no one had escaped [survived, remained]. word study 25 Then Jehoshaphat [the Lord has judged] and his people went to carry off the plunder [spoil, booty], and they found on the bodies [corpse, dead bodies] an abundance [great quantity, multitude] of goods [valuables, riches] and valuables [precious jewels, desirable vessels] —more than they could carry away [take for themselves, seize]. They were gathering the plunder [spoils of war, booty] for three days because there was so much [an abundance, a great amount]. word study 26 On the fourth [following] day they assembled in the Valley of [Blessing, praise] Beracah [a place of thanksgiving], where they blessed [praised, honored] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. Therefore that place is called the Valley of [praise, thanksgiving] Beracah to this [present] day. word study 27 Then all [every single one] the men [individuals, males] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace], with Jehoshaphat [Jehovah has judged, a king of Judah] at their head [as their leader], returned [to turn back, to go back] joyfully [with gladness, happiness] to Jerusalem, for the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had made them rejoice [to be glad, to celebrate] over their enemies [those who hate or oppose them]. word study 28 So they entered [came to, arrived at] Jerusalem [the city of peace] and went into [approached, came to] the house [temple, dwelling place] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] with [accompanied by] harps [psalteries, stringed instruments], lyres [a musical instrument], and trumpets [used to signal important events, made a quavering note]. word study 29 And the fear [dread, terror] of God [Elohim, the supreme deity] came upon [fell on, was on] all the kingdoms [nations, dominions] of the lands [countries, territories] when they heard [listened, had news] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel] had fought [made war, battled] against [with] the enemies [adversaries, foes] of Israel [the people of God, the descendants of Jacob]. word study 30 Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom [royal authority] was at peace [quiet, still], for his God [Elohim, the supreme Lord] had given him rest [a state of tranquility, settlement] on every side [around, surrounding him, from all directions]. word study 31 So Jehoshaphat [a king of Judah, son of Asa] reigned [to rule, to advise] over Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob]. He was thirty-five [thirty and five] years old when he became king, and he reigned [as a wise and just ruler] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Judah] twenty-five [twenty and five] years. His mother’s [the female parent, the one who gave him life] name was Azubah [forsaken, deserted, yet loved by God] daughter of Shilhi [a descendant of the tribe of Judah]. word study 32 And Jehoshaphat walked [followed, lived] in the way [path, manner of life] of his father [parent, ancestor] Asa and did not turn away [depart, stray] from it; he did what was right [just, upright] in the eyes [sight, presence] of the LORD [Yehovah, the Almighty]. word study 33 The high places [cultic platforms, elevations], however, were not removed [taken away, turned aside]; the people [nation, community] had not yet set [established, prepared] their hearts [innermost being, mind, will, and emotions] on [toward, unto] the God [Elohim, supreme Creator] of their fathers [ancestors, forefathers]. word study 34 As for the rest [remainder, what is left] of the acts [deeds, events] of Jehoshaphat [Jehova-judged, God has judged], from beginning [first, initial] to end [last, final], they are indeed written [recorded, inscribed] in the Chronicles [history, accounts] of Jehu [a prophet] son of Hanani [gracious], which are recorded [inserted, included] in the Book [scroll, written document] of the Kings [rulers, monarchs] of Israel [God’s chosen people]. word study 35 Later [after this, following these events], Jehoshaphat [Jehovah has judged] king [ruler, monarch] of Judah made [formed, established] an alliance [joined himself, united] with Ahaziah [Jehovah holds or possesses] king of Israel, who acted [did, behaved] wickedly [in a wrong or evil manner, very wickedly]. word study 36 They agreed [to unite, to join together] to make [to construct, to build] ships [vessels, fleet] to go [to sail, to travel] to Tarshish [a distant land, a merchant vessel], and these were built [constructed, assembled] in Ezion-geber [a place on the Red Sea, a port city]. word study 37 Then Eliezer [a prophet] son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied [to speak or sing under the influence of the divine spirit] against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied [united, joined] yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has destroyed [broken, shattered] your works [deeds, actions].” So the ships [fleet, vessels] were wrecked [broken, shattered] and were unable [not able, powerless] to sail [go, walk] to Tarshish [a place on the Mediterranean, a merchant vessel]. word study