20 Afterward the Moʹab·ites and the Amʹmon·ites, together with some of the Amʹmon·im, came to wage war against Ye·hoshʹa·phat. 2 So Ye·hoshʹa·phat was told: “A large crowd has come against you from the region of the sea, from Eʹdom, and there they are in Hazʹa·zon-taʹmar, that is, En-gedʹi.” 3 At that Ye·hoshʹa·phat became afraid, and he resolved to search for Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. So he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah then gathered together to inquire of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}; they came from all the cities of Judah to consult Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.
5 Then Ye·hoshʹa·phat stood up in the congregation of Judah and Yerushalom in the house of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} before the new courtyard, 6 and he said:
“O Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of our forefathers, are you not Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} in the heavens; do you not have dominion over all the kingdoms of the nations? In your hand are power and might, and no one can stand against you. 7 O our Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}, did you not drive away the inhabitants of this land from before your people Isra'Al and then give it as a lasting possession to the offspring of your friend Avraham? 8 And they settled in it, and they built for you there a sanctuary for your name, saying, 9 ‘If disaster should come on us, whether by sword, adverse judgment, pestilence, or famine, let us stand before this house and before you (for your name is in this house) and call to you for help out of our distress, and may you hear and save us.’ 10 Now here are the men of Amʹmon, Moʹab, and the mountainous region of Seʹir, whom you did not allow Isra'Al to invade when they came out of the land of Egypt. They turned away from them and did not annihilate them. 11 Now they are repaying us by coming in to drive us out from your possession that you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless before this large crowd that is coming against us; and we do not know what we should do, but our eyes are toward you.”
13 Meanwhile, all those of Judah were standing before Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, along with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then in the middle of the congregation, the spirit of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} came upon Ja·ha·ziʹel son of Zech·a·ryʹah son of Be·nayʹah son of Ye·iʹel son of Mat·ta·nyʹah the Levite of the sons of Aʹsaph. 15 He said: “Pay attention, all Judah and you inhabitants of Yerushalom and King Ye·hoshʹa·phat! Here is what Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} says to you, ‘Do not be afraid or be terrified because of this large crowd, for the battle is not yours but Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'}’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will be coming up by the pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley before the wilderness of Ye·ruʹel. 17 You will not need to fight this battle. Take your position, stand still, and see the salvation of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} in your behalf. O Judah and Yerushalom, do not be afraid or be terrified. Tomorrow go out against them, and Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} will be with you.’”
18 At once Ye·hoshʹa·phat bowed low with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Yerushalom fell down before Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} to worship Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. 19 Then the Levites who were descendants of the Koʹhath·ites and the Korʹah·ites rose up to praise Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of Isra'Al with a very loud voice.
20 They rose up early the next morning and went out to the wilderness of Te·koʹa. As they went out, Ye·hoshʹa·phat stood up and said: “Listen to me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Yerushalom! Put faith in Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} your Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} so that you may be able to stand firm. Put faith in his prophets, and you will be successful.”
21 After he consulted with the people, he appointed men to sing to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} and to offer praise in holy adornment as they went out ahead of the armed men, saying: “Give thanks to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}, for his loyal love endures forever.”
22 When they began joyfully singing praises, Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} set an ambush against the men of Amʹmon, Moʹab, and the mountainous region of Seʹir who were invading Judah, and they struck each other down. 23 And the Amʹmon·ites and the Moʹab·ites turned against the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Seʹir to destroy and annihilate them; and when they finished with the inhabitants of Seʹir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 But when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness and looked toward the crowd, there they saw their carcasses fallen to the ground; there were no survivors. 25 So Ye·hoshʹa·phat and his people came to carry off the spoil from them, and they found among them an abundance of goods, clothing, and desirable articles, which they stripped off for themselves until they could carry no more. It took three days to carry off the spoil, for it was abundant. 26 On the fourth day they congregated together at the Valley of Berʹa·cah, for there they praised Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. That is why they named that place Valley of Berʹa·cah—until today.
27 Then all the men of Judah and Yerushalom, with Ye·hoshʹa·phat at their head, returned to Yerushalom with rejoicing, for Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} had made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came into Yerushalom with stringed instruments, harps, and trumpets and went to the house of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. 29 And the dread of Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} had fought against the enemies of Isra'Al. 30 Thus the kingdom of Ye·hoshʹa·phat had no disturbance, and his Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} continued to give him rest on every side.
31 And Ye·hoshʹa·phat continued reigning over Judah. He was 35 years old when he became king, and he reigned for 25 years in Yerushalom. His mother’s name was A·zuʹbah the daughter of Shilʹhi. 32 He kept walking in the way of his father Aʹsa. He did not deviate from it, and he did what was right in Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}’s eyes. 33 However, the high places were not removed, and the people had not yet prepared their heart for the Yahavah {Yah'-ha-vah'} of their forefathers.
34 As for the rest of the history of Ye·hoshʹa·phat, from beginning to end, there it is written among the words of Yeʹhu the son of Ha·naʹni, which were included in the Book of the Kings of Isra'Al. 35 After this King Ye·hoshʹa·phat of Judah made an alliance with King A·ha·zyʹah of Isra'Al, who acted wickedly. 36 So he made him his partner in making ships to go to Tarʹshish, and they built the ships in Eʹzi·on-geʹber. 37 However, A·li·eʹzer the son of Dod·avʹa·hu of Ma·reʹsha spoke prophetically against Ye·hoshʹa·phat, saying: “Because you have made an alliance with A·ha·zyʹah, Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} will destroy your works.” So the ships were wrecked, and they were unable to go to Tarʹshish.