2. Tarihler 20

¹Ve bu olaylardan sonra Moav oğulları, Ammon oğulları ve onlarla birlikte Minalılardan bazıları Yehoşafata karşı savaşmak üzere geldiler.

²Gelip Yehoşafata şöyle bildirdiler: Denizin öbür yakasından, Suriyeden sana karşı büyük bir kalabalık geliyor; işte onlar Asasan Tamardadırlar (ki burası Engadidir).

³Yehoşafat korktu ve yüzünü bütünüyle Rabbi aramaya verdi; bütün Yahudada oruç ilan etti.

⁴Yahuda halkı Rabbi aramak için toplandı; Rabbi aramak için Yahudanın bütün kentlerinden geldiler.

⁵Yehoşafat, Rabbin tapınağında, yeni avlunun önünde, Yahuda ve Yeruşalim topluluğunun ortasında ayağa kalktı

⁶ve şöyle dedi: Ey atalarımızın Tanrısı Rab! Sen yukarıda gökteki Tanrı değil misin? Ulusların bütün krallıklarına egemen olan sen değil misin? Güç ve kudret senin elindedir, sana karşı durabilecek kimse yoktur.

⁷Ey Rabbimiz! Bu ülkenin sakinlerini halkın İsrailin önünden kovan ve burayı sonsuza dek sevgilin İbrahimin soyuna veren sen değil misin?

⁸Onlar buraya yerleştiler ve senin adın için kutsal bir tapınak inşa ederek şöyle dediler:

⁹Eğer üzerimize bir felaket, kılıç, yargı, veba veya kıtlık gelirse, bu tapınağın ve senin önünde duracağız; çünkü senin adın bu tapınaktadır. Sıkıntımız içinde sana feryat edeceğiz, sen de duyup bizi kurtaracaksın.

¹⁰Şimdi işte, Mısır toprağından çıktıklarında kendilerinden saptıkları ve onları yok etmedikleri için içlerinden geçip gitmelerine İsraile izin vermediğin Ammon oğulları, Moavlılar ve Seir Dağı halkı

¹¹şimdi bize karşı çıkmaya teşebbüs ediyorlar; bize miras olarak verdiğin mülkünden bizi kovmak için geliyorlar.

¹²Ey Tanrımız Rab, onları yargılamayacak mısın? Çünkü üzerimize gelen bu büyük kalabalığa karşı koyacak gücümüz yok; ne yapacağımızı bilemiyoruz, ancak gözlerimiz sendedir.

¹³Bütün Yahuda halkı, küçük çocukları ve karılarıyla birlikte Rabbin önünde ayakta duruyordu.

¹⁴O sırada topluluğun ortasında, Asaf oğullarından, Levili Mattanyas oğlu, Eleiel oğlu, Banayas oğlu, Zekeriya oğlu Ozielin üzerine Rabbin Ruhu indi.

¹⁵Oziel şöyle dedi: Dinleyin, ey bütün Yahuda halkı, Yeruşalimde oturanlar ve Kral Yehoşafat! Rab size şöyle diyor: Bu büyük kalabalığın önünde korkmayın, yılmayın! Çünkü savaş düzeni size ait değil, ancak Tanrınındır.

¹⁶Yarın onlara karşı aşağı inin; işte, Asas Yokuşundan yukarı çıkıyorlar. Onları Yeriel Çölünün ırmağının ucunda bulacaksınız.

¹⁷Bu savaşta dövüşmeniz gerekmeyecek; bunları anlayın, durun ve sizinle olan Rabbin kurtarışını görün, ey Yahuda ve Yeruşalim! Korkmayın, yılmayın; yarın onları karşılamaya çıkın, Rab sizinle olacaktır.

¹⁸Yehoşafat yüzüstü yere kapandı; bütün Yahuda halkı ve Yeruşalimde oturanlar da Rabbe tapınmak için Rabbin önünde yere kapandılar.

¹⁹Kehat oğullarından ve Korah oğullarından olan Levililer, İsrailin Tanrısı Rabbi çok yüksek bir sesle övmek için ayağa kalktılar.

²⁰Sabah erkenden kalkıp Tekoa Çölüne doğru çıktılar; onlar çıkarken Yehoşafat durup şöyle seslendi: Beni dinleyin, ey Yahuda halkı ve Yeruşalimde oturanlar! Tanrımız Rabbe güvenin, güvenli kılınacaksınız; Onun peygamberine güvenin, başarılı kılınacaksınız.

²¹Halkla danıştıktan sonra, ordunun önünde yürürlerken kutsal şeyleri övüp şükredecek ezgiciler atadı. Onlar şöyle diyorlardı: Rabbe şükredin, çünkü Onun merhameti sonsuza dek kalıcıdır!

²²Onlar övgü ve şükran ezgilerine başladığı anda, Rab Yahudaya karşı gelen Ammon oğullarının, Moavlıların ve Seir Dağı halkının üzerine savaş açtı ve onlar bozguna uğratıldılar.

²³Ammon oğullarıyla Moavlılar, Seir Dağı sakinlerini tamamen yok etmek ve ortadan kaldırmak için onlara karşı ayaklandılar. Seir halkını yok etmeyi bitirdikten sonra da birbirlerini yok etmek için birbirlerine karşı ayaklandılar.

²⁴Yahuda halkı çöldeki gözcü kulesine ulaşıp kalabalığa doğru baktığında, yerde serili cesetlerden başka bir şey görmedi; tek bir kişi bile kurtulamamıştı.

²⁵Yehoşafat ile halkı yağma mallarını toplamak için gittiler; aralarında çok sayıda hayvan, ordu malzemesi, yağma malı ve değerli kaplar bulup bunları kendileri için yağmaladılar. Yağma malı o kadar çoktu ki, bunları toplamak üç gün sürdü.

²⁶Dördüncü gün Övgü Vadisinde toplandılar; çünkü orada Rabbi övdüler. Bu yüzden o yerin adına bugüne dek Övgü Vadisi denmiştir.

²⁷Sonra bütün Yahuda adamları, Yehoşafatın önderliğinde büyük bir sevinçle Yeruşalime döndüler; çünkü Rab düşmanlarından dolayı onları sevindirmişti.

²⁸Çenkler, lirler ve borular çalarak Yeruşalime, Rabbin tapınağına girdiler.

²⁹Rabbin İsrailin düşmanlarına karşı savaştığını duyan bütün dünya krallıklarının üzerine Rabbin dehşeti çöktü.

³⁰Böylece Yehoşafatın krallığı barış buldu; Tanrısı ona her taraftan huzur verdi.

³¹Yehoşafat Yahuda kralı oldu. Kral olduğunda otuz beş yaşındaydı ve Yeruşalimde yirmi beş yıl krallık yaptı. Annesinin adı Sali kızı Azubaydı.

³²Babası Asanın yollarında yürüdü, ondan sapmadı ve Rabbin önünde doğru olanı yaptı.

³³Ancak yüksek yerler henüz ortadan kaldırılmamıştı ve halk henüz yüreğini atalarının Tanrısı Rabbe yöneltmemişti.

³⁴Yehoşafatın yaptığı diğer ilk ve son işler, İsrail Kralları Kitabını kaydeden Hanani oğlu Yehunun tarihinde yazılıdır.

³⁵Bundan sonra Yahuda Kralı Yehoşafat, yasasızlık eden İsrail Kralı Ahazyayla ortaklık kurdu.

³⁶Tarşişe gidecek gemiler yapmak üzere onunla anlaştı; gemileri Gasyon Geberde yaptılar.

³⁷Marisalı Dodianın oğlu Eliezer, Yehoşafata karşı peygamberlik ederek şöyle dedi: Ahazyayla dostluk kurduğun için Rab senin işini paramparça etti. Böylece gemilerin parçalandı ve Tarşişe gidemediler.

¹ΚΑΙ μετὰ ταῦτα ἦλθον οἱ υἱοὶ Μωάβ, καὶ υἱοὶ ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐκ τῶν Μιναίων πρὸς ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ εἰς πόλεμον.

²καὶ ἦλθον καὶ ὑπέδειξαν τῷ ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ λέγοντες· ἥκει ἐπὶ σὲ πλῆθος πολὺ ἐκ πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης ἀπὸ Συρίας, καὶ ἰδού εἰσιν ἐν ᾿Ασασὰν Θαμὰρ (αὕτη ἐστὶν ᾿Εγγαδί).

³καὶ ἐφοβήθη καὶ ἔδωκεν ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐκζητῆσαι τὸν Κύριον καὶ ἐκήρυξε νηστείαν ἐν παντὶ ᾿Ιούδᾳ.

⁴καὶ συνήχθη ᾿Ιούδας ἐκζητῆσαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν πόλεων ᾿Ιούδα ἦλθον ζητῆσαι τὸν Κύριον.

⁵καὶ ἀνέστη ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ᾿Ιούδα ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς αὐλῆς τῆς καινῆς

⁶καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων μου, οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ ἄνω καὶ σὺ κυριεύεις πασῶν τῶν βασιλειῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ἰσχὺς δυναστείας καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πρός σε ἀντιστῆναι;

⁷οὐχὶ σὺ ὁ Κύριος ὁ ἐξολοθρεύσας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ σου ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἔδωκας αὐτὴν σπέρματι ῾Αβραὰμ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα;

⁸καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ἐν αὐτῇ ἁγίασμα τῷ ὀνόματί σου λέγοντες·

⁹ἐὰν ἐπέλθῃ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς κακά, ῥομφαία, κρίσις, θάνατος, λιμός, στησόμεθα ἐναντίον τοῦ οἴκου τούτου καὶ ἐναντίον σου, ὅτι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπὶ τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ, καὶ βοησόμεθα πρὸς σὲ ἀπὸ τῆς θλίψεως, καὶ ἀκούσῃ καὶ σώσεις.

¹⁰καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ Μωὰβ καὶ ὄρος Σηείρ, εἰς οὓς οὐκ ἔδωκας τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ διελθεῖν δι’ αὐτῶν, ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι ἐξέκλιναν ἀπ’ αὐτῶν καὶ οὐκ ἐξωλόθρευσαν αὐτούς.

¹¹καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ αὐτοὶ ἐπιχειροῦσιν ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἐξελθεῖν ἐκβαλεῖν ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς κληρονομίας ἡμῶν, ἧς ἔδωκας ἡμῖν.

¹²Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ κρινεῖς ἐν αὐτοῖς; ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἰσχὺς τοῦ ἀντιστῆναι πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος τὸ πολὺ τοῦτο τὸ ἐλθὸν ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί ποιήσωμεν αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐπὶ σοὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν.

¹³καὶ πᾶς ᾿Ιούδας ἑστηκὼς ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ τὰ παιδία αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν.

¹⁴καὶ τῷ ᾿Οζιὴλ τῷ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου τῶν υἱῶν Βαναίου τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ελεϊὴλ τοῦ Ματθανίου τοῦ Λευίτου ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ασάφ, ἐγένετο ἐπ’ αὐτὸν πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ

¹⁵καὶ εἶπεν· ἀκούσατε πᾶς ᾿Ιούδα καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Ιωσαφάτ· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς· μὴ φοβεῖσθε μηδὲ πτοηθῆτε ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ ὄχλου τοῦ πολλοῦ τούτου, ὅτι οὐχ ὑμῖν ἐστιν ἡ παράταξις, ἀλλ’ ἢ τῷ Θεῷ.

¹⁶αὔριον κατάβητε ἐπ’ αὐτούς· ἰδοὺ ἀναβαίνουσι κατὰ τὴν ἀνάβασιν ᾿Ασάς, καὶ εὑρήσετε αὐτοὺς ἐπ’ ἄκρου ποταμοῦ τῆς ἐρήμου ᾿Ιεριήλ.

¹⁷οὐχ ὑμῖν ἐστι πολεμῆσαι· ταῦτα σύνετε καὶ ἴδετε τὴν σωτηρίαν Κυρίου μεθ’ ὑμῶν, ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ· μὴ φοβηθῆτε μηδὲ πτοηθῆτε αὔριον ἐξελθεῖν εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῖς, καὶ Κύριος μεθ’ ὑμῶν.

¹⁸καὶ κύψας ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶς ᾿Ιούδα καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἔπεσαν ἔναντι Κυρίου προσκυνῆσαι Κυρίῳ.

¹⁹καὶ ἀνέστησαν οἱ Λευῖται ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Καὰθ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Κορὲ αἰνεῖν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ εἰς ὕψος.

²⁰Καὶ ὤρθρισαν πρωΐ καὶ ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Θεκωέ, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐξελθεῖν αὐτοὺς ἔστη ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ καὶ ἐβόησε καὶ εἶπεν· ἀκούσατέ μου ᾿Ιούδα καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ· ἐμπιστεύσατε ἐν Κυρίῳ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐμπιστευθήσεσθε· ἐμπιστεύσατε ἐν προφήτῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὐοδωθήσεσθε.

²¹καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἔστησε ψαλτῳδοὺς καὶ αἰνοῦντας ἐξομολογεῖσθαι καὶ αἰνεῖν τὰ ἅγια ἐν τῷ ἐξελθεῖν ἔμπροσθεν τῆς δυνάμεως, καὶ ἔλεγον· ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.

²²καὶ ἐν τῷ ἄρξασθαι αὐτοὺς τῆς αἰνέσεως καὶ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως ἔδωκε Κύριος πολεμεῖν τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Αμμὼν ἐπὶ Μωὰβ καὶ ὄρος Σηεὶρ τοὺς ἐξελθόντας ἐπὶ ᾿Ιούδαν, καὶ ἐτροπώθησαν.

²³καὶ ἀνέστησαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Αμμὼν καὶ Μωὰβ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ὄρος Σηεὶρ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι καὶ ἐκτρῖψαι αὐτούς· καὶ ὡς συνετέλεσαν τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Σηείρ, ἀνέστησαν εἰς ἀλλήλους τοῦ ἐξολοθρευθῆναι.

²⁴καὶ ᾿Ιούδας ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν σκοπιὰν τῆς ἐρήμου καὶ ἐπέβλεψε καὶ εἶδε τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ἰδοὺ πάντες νεκροὶ πεπτωκότες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐκ ἦν σωζόμενος.

²⁵καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ καὶ ὁ λαὸς αὐτοῦ σκυλεῦσαι τὰ σκῦλα αὐτῶν καὶ εὗρον κτήνη πολλὰ καὶ ἀποσκευὴν καὶ σκῦλα καὶ σκεύη ἐπιθυμητὰ καὶ ἐσκύλευσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς. καὶ ἐγένοντο ἡμέραι τρεῖς σκυλευόντων αὐτῶν τὰ σκῦλα, ὅτι πολλὰ ἦν.

²⁶καὶ ἐγένετο τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τετάρτῃ ἐπισυνήχθησαν εἰς τὸν αὐλῶνα τῆς εὐλογίας, ἐκεῖ γὰρ ηὐλόγησαν τὸν Κύριον· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκάλεσαν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Κοιλὰς εὐλογίας ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης.

²⁷καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πᾶς ἀνὴρ ᾿Ιούδα εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ ἡγούμενος αὐτῶν ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ μεγάλῃ, ὅτι εὔφρανεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτῶν,

²⁸καὶ εἰσῆλθον εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐν νάβλαις καὶ κινύραις καὶ ἐν σάλπιγξιν εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου.

²⁹καὶ ἐγένετο ἔκστασις Κυρίου ἐπὶ πάσας τὰς βασιλείας τῆς γῆς ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι αὐτοὺς ὅτι Κύριος ἐπολέμησε πρὸς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ᾿Ισραήλ.

³⁰καὶ εἰρήνευσεν ἡ βασιλεία ᾿Ιωσαφάτ, καὶ κατέπαυσεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ κυκλόθεν.

³¹Καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ ἐπὶ τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν, ὢν ἐτῶν τριακονταπέντε ἐν τῷ βασιλεῦσαι αὐτόν, καὶ εἴκοσι καὶ πέντε ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ ᾿Αζουβὰ θυγάτηρ Σαλί.

³²καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ᾿Ασὰ καὶ οὐκ ἐξέκλινε τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ εὐθὲς ἐνώπιον Κυρίου·

³³ἀλλὰ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἔτι ὑπῆρχε, καὶ ἔτι ὁ λαὸς οὐ κατεύθυνε τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν.

³⁴καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ λόγοι ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ οἱ πρῶτοι καὶ οἱ ἔσχατοι ἰδοὺ γεγραμμένοι ἐν λόγοις ᾿Ιοὺ τοῦ ᾿Ανανί, ὃς κατέγραψε βιβλίον βασιλέων ᾿Ισραήλ.

³⁵Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκοινώνησεν ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ βασιλεὺς ᾿Ιούδα πρὸς ᾿Οχοζίαν βασιλέα ᾿Ισραήλ (καὶ οὗτος ἠνόμησεν)

³⁶ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαι καὶ πορευθῆναι πρὸς αὐτὸν τοῦ ποιῆσαι πλοῖα τοῦ πορευθῆναι εἰς Θαρσεῖς καὶ ἐποίησε πλοῖα ἐν Γασιὼν Γαβέρ.

³⁷καὶ ἐπροφήτευσεν ᾿Ελιέζερ ὁ τοῦ Δωδία ἀπὸ Μαρισῆς ἐπὶ ᾿Ιωσαφὰτ λέγων· ὡς ἐφιλίασας τῷ ᾿Οχοζίᾳ, ἔθραυσε Κύριος τὸ ἔργον σου, καὶ συνετρίβη τὰ πλοῖά σου. καὶ οὐκ ἐδυνάσθη πορευθῆναι εἰς Θαρσεῖς.

¹And after this came the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them [some] of the Minaeans, against Josaphat to battle.

²And they came and told Josaphat, saying, There is come against thee a great multitude from Syria, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Asasan Thamar, this is Engadi.

³And Josaphat was alarmed, and set his face to seek the Lord earnestly, and he proclaimed a fast in all Juda.

⁴And Juda gathered themselves together to seek after the Lord: even from all the cities of Juda they came to seek the Lord.

⁵And Josaphat stood up in the assembly of Juda in Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, in front of the new court.

⁶And he said, O Lord God of my fathers, art not thou God in heaven above, and art not thou Lord of all the kingdoms of the nations? and [is there] not in thy hand the might of dominion, and there is no one who can resist thee?

⁷Art not thou the Lord that didst destroy the inhabitants of this land before the face of thy people Israel, and didst give it to thy beloved seed of Abraham for ever?

⁸And they dwelt in it, and built in it a sanctuary to thy name, saying,

⁹If there should come upon us evils, sword, judgment, pestilence, famine, we will stand before this house, and before thee, (for thy name [is] upon this house,) and we will cry to thee because of the affliction, and thou shalt hear, and deliver.

¹⁰And now, behold, the children of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, with regard to whom thou didst not permit Israel to pass through their border, when they had come out of the land of Egypt, (for they turned away from them, and did not destroy them;)--

¹¹yet now, behold, they make attempts against us, to come forth to cast us out from our inheritance which thou gavest us.

¹²O Lord our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no strength to resist this great multitude that is come against us; and we know not what we shall do to them: but our eyes are toward thee.

¹³And all Juda was standing before the Lord, and their children, and their wives.

¹⁴And Oziel the [son] of Zacharias, of the children of Banaias, of the sons of Eleiel, the sons of Matthanias the Levite, of the sons of Asaph,-- upon him came the Spirit of the Lord in the assembly:

¹⁵and he said, Hear ye, all Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem, and king Josaphat: Thus saith the Lord to you, even you, Fear not, neither be alarmed, before all this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

¹⁶To-morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent of Assis, and ye shall find them at the extremity of the river of the wilderness of Jeriel.

¹⁷It is not for you to fight: understand these things, and see the deliverance of the Lord with you, Juda and Jerusalem: fear not, neither be afraid to go forth to-morrow to meet them; and the Lord shall be with you.

¹⁸And Josaphat bowed with his face [to the ground] with all Juda and the dwellers in Jerusalem, [and] they fell before the Lord to worship the Lord.

¹⁹And the Levites of the children of Caath, and [they] of the sons of Core, rose up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

²⁰And they rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Thecoe: and as they went out, Josaphat stood and cried, and said, Hear me, Juda, and the dwellers in Jerusalem; put your trust in the Lord God, and your trust shall be honored; trust in his prophet, and ye shall prosper.

²¹And he took counsel with the people, and set appointed men to sing psalms and praises, to give thanks, and sing the holy songs of praise in going forth before the host: and they said, Give thanks to the Lord, for his mercy [endures] for ever.

²²And when they began the praise and thanksgiving, the Lord caused the children of Ammon to fight against Moab, and [the inhabitants of] mount Seir that came out against Juda; and they were routed.

²³Then the children of Ammon and Moab rose up against the dwellers in mount Seir, to destroy and consume them; and when they had made an end of [destroying] the inhabitants of Seir, they rose up against one another so that they were utterly destroyed.

²⁴And Juda came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, and looked, and saw the multitude, and, behold, [they were] all fallen dead upon the earth, not one escaped.

²⁵And Josaphat and his people went out to spoil them, and they found much cattle, and furniture, and spoils, and precious things: and they spoiled them, and they were three days gathering the spoil, for it was abundant.

²⁶And it came to pass on the fourth day they were gathered to the Valley of Blessing; for there they blessed the Lord: therefore they called the name of the place the Valley of Blessing, until this day.

²⁷And all the men of Juda returned to Jerusalem, and Josaphat led them with great joy; for the Lord gave them joy over their enemies.

²⁸And they entered into Jerusalem with lutes and harps and trumpets, [going] into the house of the lord.

²⁹And there was a terror of the Lord upon all the kingdoms of the land, when they heard that the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel.

³⁰And the kingdom of Josaphat was at peace; and his God gave him rest round about.

³¹And Josaphat reigned over Juda, being thirty-five years [old] when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Azuba, daughter of Sali.

³²And he walked in the ways of his father Asa, and turned not aside from doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.

³³nevertheless the high places yet remained; and as yet the people did not direct their heart to the Lord God of their fathers.

³⁴And the rest of the acts of Josaphat, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the history of Jeu [the son] of Anani, who wrote the book of the kings of Israel.

³⁵And afterwards Josaphat king of Juda entered into an alliance with Ochozias king of Israel, (now this was an unrighteous man,)

³⁶by acting [with] and going to him, to build ships to go to Tharsis: and he built ships in Gasion Gaber.

³⁷And Eliezer the [son] of Dodia of Marisa prophesied against Josaphat, saying, Forasmuch as thou hast allied thyself with Ochozias, the Lord has broken thy work, and thy vessels have been wrecked. And they could not go to Tharsis.