2 Chronicles 17-20

GOD’S WORD Translation

King Jehoshaphat of Judah

17 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king. Jehoshaphat strengthened himself ⌞to wage war⌟ against Israel. ² He put troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and placed military posts in Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, who lived in the old way like his ancestor David. Jehoshaphat didn’t dedicate his life to serving other gods—the Baals. ⁴ Instead, he dedicated his life to his ancestor’s God and lived by God’s commands. Jehoshaphat did not do what Israel was doing. ⁵ So the Lord established Jehoshaphat’s power over the kingdom. All the people of Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat, and he had a lot of riches and honor. ⁶ He had the confidence to live the way the Lord wanted him to live. He also got rid of the illegal places of worship and poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah in Judah.

⁷ In the third year of his reign, he sent his officers Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. ⁸ With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, Tob Adonijah, and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught in Judah. They had the Book of the Lord’s Teachings with them when they taught the people in all the cities of Judah.

¹⁰ Fear of the Lord came to all the kingdoms around Judah. As a result, they didn’t wage war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver as taxes. The Arabs also brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. ¹² So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built fortresses and cities where supplies were stored in Judah. ¹³ He had large supplies of food in the cities of Judah and an army of professional soldiers with him in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ The following is a breakdown of these soldiers. They are listed by families. Judah’s regimental commanders were Commander Adnah (with 300,000 fighting men), ¹⁵ next to him Commander Jehohanan (with 280,000), ¹⁶ and next to him Amasiah, Zichri’s son, who volunteered to serve the Lord (with 200,000 fighting men). ¹⁷ From Benjamin there was the fighting man Eliada (with 200,000 armed men with bows and shields), ¹⁸ and next to him was Jehozabad (with him was an army of 180,000 armed men). ¹⁹ These were the men who served the king in addition to those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

Micaiah Prophesies against King Ahab^(A)

18 Jehoshaphat was wealthy and honorable and became Ahab’s in-law. ² A few years later he went to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for a banquet in honor of Jehoshaphat and the people who were with him. And Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth in Gilead with him.

³ King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth in Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat told the king of Israel, “I will do what you do. My troops will do what your troops do. ⌞We will join⌟ your troops in battle.” ⁴ Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first, find out what the Lord’s word is ⌞in this matter⌟.”

⁵ So the king of Israel called 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”

“Go,” they said. “God will hand over Ramoth to you.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord whom we could ask?”

⁷ The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “We can ask the Lord through Micaiah, son of Imla, but I hate him. Nothing he prophesies about me is good; it’s always evil.”

Jehoshaphat answered, “The king must not say that.”

⁸ The king of Israel called for an officer and said, “Quick! ⌞Get⌟ Micaiah, son of Imla!”

⁹ The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were dressed in royal robes and seated on thrones. They were sitting on the threshing floor ^[a] at the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. ¹⁰ Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will push the Arameans to their destruction.” ¹¹ All the other prophets made the same prophecy. They said, “Attack Ramoth in Gilead, and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”

¹² The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all told the king the same good message. Make your message agree with their message. Say something good.”

¹³ Micaiah answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will tell him whatever my God says to me.”

¹⁴ When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah,^[b] should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”

Micaiah said, “Attack and you will win. They will be handed over to you.”

¹⁵ The king asked him, “How many times must I make you take an oath in the Lord’s name to tell me nothing but the truth?”

¹⁶ So Micaiah said, “I saw Israel’s troops scattered in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These sheep have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”

¹⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t prophesy anything good about me?”

¹⁸ Micaiah added, “Then hear the Lord’s word. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing on his right and his left. ¹⁹ The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others were saying something else.

²⁰ “Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’

“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.

²¹ “The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’

“The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’

²² “So the Lord has put into the mouths of these prophets of yours a spirit that makes them tell lies. The Lord has spoken evil about you.”

²³ Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. “Which way did the Spirit go when he left me to talk to you?” he asked.

²⁴ Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”

²⁵ The king of Israel then said, “Send Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the prince. ²⁶ Say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return home safely.’ ”

²⁷ Micaiah said, “If you really do come back safely, then the Lord wasn’t speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!”

²⁸ So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead. ²⁹ The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

³⁰ The king of Aram had given orders to the chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”

³¹ When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they surrounded him in order to fight him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, ³² and the chariot commanders realized that Jehoshaphat wasn’t the king of Israel. Then they turned away from him.

³³ One man aimed his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between his scale armor and his breastplate. Ahab told the chariot driver, “Turn around, and get me away from these troops. I’m badly wounded.” ³⁴ But the battle got worse that day, and the king propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. At sundown he died.

King Jehoshaphat’s Religious Reforms

19 King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned safely to his home in Jerusalem. ² Jehu, son of the seer ^[c] Hanani, asked King Jehoshaphat, “Why do you help wicked people and love those who hate the Lord? The Lord’s anger is directed toward you because you have done this. ³ However, you’ve done some good things: You’ve burned the Asherah poles in this country, and you’ve wholeheartedly dedicated your life to serving God.”

⁴ While Jehoshaphat was living in Jerusalem, he regularly went to the people between Beersheba and the mountains of Ephraim. He brought the people back to the Lord God of their ancestors. ⁵ He appointed judges in the country, in each fortified city of Judah. ⁶ He told the judges, “Pay attention to what you’re doing. When you judge, you aren’t doing it for a human but for the Lord. He will be with you when you hear a case. ⁷ May you have the fear of the Lord in you. Be careful about what you do. The Lord our God is never unjust. He is impartial and never takes bribes.”

⁸ In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed some Levites, priests, and family heads from Israel to administer the Lord’s laws and decide cases. They lived in Jerusalem. ⁹ He ordered them, “Do this wholeheartedly—with the fear of the Lord and with faithfulness. ¹⁰ Warn your relatives living in other cities about every case they bring to you, even if the case involves bloodshed or commands, rules, or regulations derived from Moses’ Teachings. Then your relatives will not become guilty in front of the Lord. Otherwise, he will become angry with you and your relatives. Do this, and you won’t be guilty ⌞of anything⌟. ¹¹ Now, the chief priest Amariah will be in charge of you in every matter involving the Lord. Zebadiah, who is the son of Ishmael and the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be in charge of every matter involving the king. The Levites will serve as officers of the court. Be strong, and do your job. May the Lord be with those who do right.”

King Jehoshaphat Defeats Judah’s Enemies

20 Later the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites ^[d] came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. ² Some men reported to Jehoshaphat, “A large crowd is coming against you from the other side of the Dead Sea, from Edom.^[e] The crowd is already in Hazazon Tamar” (also called En Gedi).

³ Frightened, Jehoshaphat decided to ask for the Lord’s help. He announced a fast throughout Judah. ⁴ The people of Judah gathered to seek the Lord’s help. They came from every city in Judah.

⁵ In the new courtyard at the Lord’s temple, Jehoshaphat stood in front of the people. ⁶ He said, “Lord God of our ancestors, aren’t you the God in heaven? You rule all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess power and might, and no one can oppose you. ⁷ Didn’t you, our God, force those who were living in this country out of Israel’s way? Didn’t you give this country to the descendants of your friend Abraham to have permanently? ⁸ His descendants have lived in it and built a holy temple for your name in it. They said, ⁹ ‘If evil comes in the form of war, flood,^[f] plague, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple and in front of you because your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you in our troubles, and you will hear us and save us.’

¹⁰ “The Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir have come here. However, you didn’t let Israel invade them when they came out of Egypt. The Israelites turned away from them and didn’t destroy them. ¹¹ They are now paying us back by coming to force us out of your land that you gave to us. ¹² You’re our God. Won’t you judge them? We don’t have the strength to face this large crowd that is attacking us. We don’t know what to do, so we’re looking to you.”

¹³ All the people from Judah, their infants, wives, and children were standing in front of the Lord. ¹⁴ Then the Lord’s Spirit came to Jahaziel. (He was the son of Zechariah, grandson of Benaiah, great-grandson of Jeiel, whose father was Mattaniah, a Levite descended from Asaph.) ¹⁵ Jahaziel said, “Pay attention to me, everyone from Judah, everyone living in Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. This is what the Lord says to you: Don’t be frightened or terrified by this large crowd. The battle isn’t yours. It’s God’s. ¹⁶ Tomorrow go into battle against them. They will be coming up the Ziz Pass. You will find them at the end of the valley in front of the Jeruel Desert. ¹⁷ You won’t fight this battle. ⌞Instead,⌟ take your position, stand still, and see the victory of the Lord for you, Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be frightened or terrified. Tomorrow go out to face them. The Lord is with you.”

¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face touching the ground. Everyone from Judah and the people who lived in Jerusalem immediately bowed down in front of the Lord. ¹⁹ The Levites, descendants of Kohath and Korah, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with very loud songs.

²⁰ They got up early in the morning and went to the desert of Tekoa. As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. Trust the Lord your God, and believe. Believe his prophets, and you will succeed.”

²¹ After he had advised the people, he appointed people to sing to the Lord and praise him for the beauty of his holiness. As they went in front of the troops, they sang, “Thank the Lord because his mercy endures forever!” ²² As they started to sing praises, the Lord set ambushes against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir who had come into Judah. They were defeated. ²³ Then the Ammonites and Moabites attacked the people from Mount Seir and annihilated them. After they had finished off the people of Seir, they helped destroy one another.

²⁴ The people of Judah went to the watchtower in the desert and looked for the crowd. Corpses were lying on the ground. No one had escaped. ²⁵ When Jehoshaphat and his troops came to take the loot, they found among them a lot of goods, clothes,^[g] and valuables. They found more than they could carry. They spent three days collecting the loot. ²⁶ On the fourth day they gathered in the valley of Beracah. Because they thanked the Lord there, that place is still called the valley of Beracah [Thanks] today.

²⁷ All the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned to Jerusalem. They rejoiced while Jehoshaphat led them. The Lord gave them a reason to rejoice about ⌞what had happened to⌟ their enemies. ²⁸ So they brought harps, lyres, and trumpets to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem.

²⁹ The fear of the Lord came over the kingdoms in that area when they heard how the Lord waged war against Israel’s enemies. ³⁰ Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was peaceful, since his God surrounded him with peace.

Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign^(B)

³¹ Jehoshaphat ruled as king of Judah. He was 35 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. ³² Jehoshaphat carefully followed the example his father Asa had set and did what the Lord considered right. ³³ But the illegal worship sites on the hills were not torn down. The people still didn’t have their hearts set on the God of their ancestors.

³⁴ Everything else about Jehoshaphat from first to last is written in the records of Jehu, son of Hanani, which is included in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

³⁵ After this, King Jehoshaphat of Judah allied himself with King Ahaziah of Israel, who led him to do evil. ³⁶ Jehoshaphat joined him in making ships to go to Tarshish. They made the ships in Ezion Geber. ³⁷ Then Eliezer, son of Dodavahu from Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat. He said, “The Lord will destroy your work because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah.” So the ships were wrecked and couldn’t go to Tarshish.