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    2 Chronicles · 37 verses

    2 Chronicles 20

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    What happens here

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    The army is told it need not fight, marches out with singers in front, and discovers that the enemy has done the fighting rather thoroughly among itself.

    A vast army, and a very fixed gazevv. 1–19

    Moabites, Ammonites, and some Meunites come against Jehoshaphat, with the report that the army is already at En-gedi. Jehoshaphat is alarmed, proclaims a fast, and gathers Judah before the LORD. His prayer recalls the land given to the descendants of Abraham, the sanctuary built there, and the old decision not to destroy Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. The prayer ends with a splendidly honest admission: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” Jahaziel then announces that the battle belongs to God. Judah will march, stand firm, and watch. Jehoshaphat bows facedown; the people worship; the Levites praise in a very loud voice.

    Singers before the armyvv. 20–30

    Early in the morning, Judah leaves for the Wilderness of Tekoa. Jehoshaphat appoints singers to go before the army, praising the splendor of holiness with the refrain, “Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever.” At the first shouts and praises, the LORD sets ambushes against Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. Ammon and Moab turn on Seir, then assist in the destruction of one another—a military arrangement of remarkably short duration. Judah arrives to find only corpses, gathers more goods than it can carry for three days, and blesses the LORD in the Valley of Beracah on the fourth. Jerusalem receives the returning procession with harps, lyres, and trumpets; Jehoshaphat’s kingdom then has peace and rest on every side.

    Peace, and then shipsvv. 31–37

    Jehoshaphat reigns over Judah for twenty-five years, walking in the way of his father Asa and doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places remain, however, and the people have not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers. Later, in the quiet aftermath, Jehoshaphat makes an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acts wickedly. They build ships intended for Tarshish, but Eliezer prophesies against the alliance, and the ships are wrecked before they can sail. Peace on every side has met the sea, and the sea has declined the arrangement.

    The text

    Read it

    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. 2 Chr 20:1After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.

    2. 2 Chr 20:2Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the Sea; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).

    3. 2 Chr 20:3Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.

    4. 2 Chr 20:4So the people of Judah gathered to seek the LORD, and indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him.

    5. 2 Chr 20:5Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD in front of the new courtyard

    6. 2 Chr 20:6and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.

    7. 2 Chr 20:7Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend?

    8. 2 Chr 20:8They have lived in the land and have built in it a sanctuary for Your Name, saying,

    9. 2 Chr 20:9‘If disaster comes upon us—whether sword or judgment, plague or famine—we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your Name is in this temple. We will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us.’

    10. 2 Chr 20:10And now, here are the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt. So Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them.

    11. 2 Chr 20:11See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession that You gave us as an inheritance.

    12. 2 Chr 20:12Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

    13. 2 Chr 20:13Meanwhile all the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, were standing before the LORD.

    14. 2 Chr 20:14Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite from Asaph’s descendants, as he stood in the midst of the assembly.

    15. 2 Chr 20:15And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.

    16. 2 Chr 20:16Tomorrow you are to march down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel.

    17. 2 Chr 20:17You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”

    18. 2 Chr 20:18Then Jehoshaphat bowed facedown, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down before the LORD to worship Him.

    19. 2 Chr 20:19And the Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, shouting in a very loud voice.

    20. 2 Chr 20:20Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”

    21. 2 Chr 20:21Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: “Give thanks to the LORD, for His loving devotion endures forever.”

    22. 2 Chr 20:22The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.

    23. 2 Chr 20:23The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

    24. 2 Chr 20:24When the men of Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the vast army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

    25. 2 Chr 20:25Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables—more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.

    26. 2 Chr 20:26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they blessed the LORD. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Beracah to this day.

    27. 2 Chr 20:27Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.

    28. 2 Chr 20:28So they entered Jerusalem and went into the house of the LORD with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

    29. 2 Chr 20:29And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

    30. 2 Chr 20:30Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

    31. 2 Chr 20:31So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

    32. 2 Chr 20:32And Jehoshaphat walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn away from it; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.

    33. 2 Chr 20:33The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers.

    34. 2 Chr 20:34As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Chronicles of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

    35. 2 Chr 20:35Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly.

    36. 2 Chr 20:36They agreed to make ships to go to Tarshish, and these were built in Ezion-geber.

    37. 2 Chr 20:37Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 330 passages were voted onto 36 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 17Exodus 14:13–14But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.
    • 152 Chronicles 32:7–8“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.
    • 15Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
    • 172 Chronicles 15:2So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
    • 151 Samuel 17:47And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”
    • 15Deuteronomy 1:29–30So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them!
    • 15Deuteronomy 31:8The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
    • 17Isaiah 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
    • 20Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
    • 20John 11:40Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
    • 20John 14:1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.
    • 12Psalms 121:1–2A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
    • 17Psalms 46:10–11“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
    • 20Luke 16:31Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
    • 20Hebrews 11:6And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
    • 17Matthew 28:20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

    Onward

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    Next chapter2 Chronicles 2120 verses.Named hereSeir MountEverything the graph connects to this name.Book2 ChroniclesAll 36 chapters.Every bookThe Bible66 books, 1,189 chapters.