Holy Bible Reading in Chronicles on Wars

The battle is of G-d’s.

Another timely chapter for Israel at War.

May the Jewish people come to the realization that their current situation is G-d’s way to cause them to repent and return to Him.

“G-d Protects Jehoshaphat”

“The King’s Prayer”

It happened after this that the Children of Moab and the Children of Ammon, along with some Ammonites, went out to war against Jehoshaphat.
20:1
He was afraid, so Jehoshaphat turned his attention to seek Hashem, and he proclaimed a fast upon all of Judah.
20:3
… “O Hashem, God of our fathers! Behold, You are God in Heaven, and You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In Your hand are power and might, and no one can stand up against You.
:6
Surely, You are our God. You drove out the inhabitants of this land from before Your people Israel, and You gave it forever to the descendants of Abraham, who loved You.
:7
‘If misfortune should come upon us — war, judgment, plague or famine — we will stand before this Temple and before You, for Your Name is in this Temple, and we will cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear us and save us.’
:9
Our God, will You not perform justice against them? For we have no strength before this great multitude that is invading us. We do not know what we should do; rather, our eyes are upon You!”
:12
Thus said Hashem concerning you: Do not fear and do not be intimidated before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s!
:15
It is not for you to do battle in this matter! Be erect, stand still and see the salvation of Hashem for you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear and do not be broken! Tomorrow go out before them, and Hashem will be with you!”
:17
Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all [of] Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before Hashem to prostrate themselves to Hashem.
:18
The Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, rose up to praise Hashem, God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.
:19
… “Hear me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Have faith in Hashem your God, and show yourselves loyal; have faith in His prophets and be successful!”
:20
He conferred with the people, and he set up men to laud [His] majestic holiness; … “Give thanks to Hashem, for His mercy endures forever!”
:21
When Judah reached the lookout over the wilderness, they turned to look at the multitude and saw that they were all corpses, fallen upon the ground, with no survivors.
:24
They came to Jerusalem with lyres and harps and trumpets, to the Temple of Hashem.
:28
A dread of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that Hashem was doing battle with the enemies of Israel.
:29
He followed the way of his father Asa and did not deviate from it, doing what was proper in the eyes of Hashem.
:32
Eliezer son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied about Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, Hashem has wrecked your undertakings!” The ships broke down and did not succeed in going to Tarshish.
:37

1 And it came to pass afterwards that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came to Jehoshaphat to [wage] war.
2 And they came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude has come upon you from across the sea, from Aram, and behold they are in Hazazon-Tamar; the same is En-Gedi.”
3 And Jehoshaphat was frightened and set his face to seek the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast over all Judah.
4 And the Judeans gathered to seek help of the Lord; also from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the House of the Lord, before the new court.
6 And he said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, is it not so that You are God in heaven, and that You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is strength and might, and no one can stand with You?
7 Have you, our God, not driven out the inhabitants of this land from before Your people Israel and given it to the seed of Abraham, who loved You, forever?
8 And they dwelt therein and therein they built You a Sanctuary for Your name, saying:
9 Should evil come upon us, whether sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine, we shall stand before this House and before You, for Your name is in this House, and we shall cry out to You from our distress, and You will hear and save.
10 And now, behold the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, against whom You did not permit Israel to come when they came out of the land of Egypt, for they turned away from them and did not destroy them.
11 And behold they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of Your inheritance, which You caused us to inherit.
12 Our God, will You not execute judgment upon them? For we have no strength before this great multitude that is coming upon us, and we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
13 And all the Judeans stood before the Lord, also their infants, their wives, and their children.
14 And Jahaziel the son of Zechariah the son of Benaiah the son of Jeiel the son of Mattaniah the Levite of the sons of Asaph-the spirit of the Lord was upon him in the midst of the assembly.
15 And he said, “Hearken, all Judeans, inhabitants of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat, so said the Lord to you: You shall not fear, neither shall you be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the war is not yours but God’s.
16 Tomorrow, descend upon them; behold they are ascending on the ascent to Haziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley, before the desert of Jeruel.
17 It is not for you to fight in this [war]; set yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not and be not dismayed. Tomorrow, go forth before them, and the Lord will be with you.”
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed upon his face to the ground, and all the Judeans and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord to prostrate themselves to the Lord.
19 And the Levites of the sons of the Kehathites and of the sons of the Korahites arose to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with an exceedingly loud voice.
20 And they arose early in the morning and went forth to the desert of Tekoa, and when they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judeans and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be believed; believe in His prophets, and you will prosper.”
21 And he took counsel with the people, and he set up singers to the Lord that they should praise the beauty of holiness, when they went out before the advance guard and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His kindness is eternal.”
22 And at the time they commenced with song and praise, the Lord placed liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who were coming to Judah, and they were struck down.
23 And the children of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate, and when they finished with the inhabitants of Seir, each one helped his friend to destroy.
24 And the Judeans came upon the place overlooking the desert, and they turned to the multitude, and behold they were corpses falling to the ground, with no survivors.
25 And Jehoshaphat and his people came to plunder the spoils, and they found among them plenty, and belongings and corpses and precious vessels, which they emptied out for themselves to the extent that they could not carry them away, and for three days they were plundering the spoil, because it was so much.
26 And on the fourth day, they congregated to the valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore, they named that place the valley of Berachah to this day.
27 And all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat at their head, to return to Jerusalem with joy, because the Lord had given them joy [by saving them] from their enemies.
28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries, with harps, and with trumpets to the House of the Lord.
29 And fright of God was upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought with Israel’s enemies.
30 And Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was tranquil, and God granted him peace from round about.
31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah; he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he went in the way of his father Asa and did not turn away from it, to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
33 But the high places were not removed, and the people had not yet set their hearts to the God of their forefathers.
34 And the rest of the affairs of Jehoshaphat-the first ones and the last ones-behold they are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which was inserted in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 And afterwards, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah joined Ahaziah the king of Israel, who dealt wickedly.
36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made ships in Ezion-Geber.
37 And Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied about Jehoshaphat, saying, “When you joined Ahaziah, the Lord breached your work.” And the ships were broken and could not go to Tarshish.