2 Chronicles 20 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Later the Moabite people, the Ammonite people, and some Meunite {\cf2\super [222]} people came to start a war with Jehoshaphat.

² Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “There is a large army coming against you from Edom. They are coming from the other side of the \{Dead\} Sea. They are already in Hazazon Tamar!” (Hazazon Tamar is also called En Gedi.)

³ Jehoshaphat became afraid, and he decided to ask the Lord what to do. He announced a time of fasting {\cf2\super [223]} for everyone in Judah.

⁴ The people of Judah came together to ask for help from the Lord. They came from out of all the towns of Judah to ask for the Lord’s help.

⁵ Jehoshaphat was in the Lord’s temple {\cf2\super [224]} in front of the new yard. He stood up in the meeting of the people from Judah and Jerusalem.

⁶ He said,

⁷ You are our God! You forced the people living in this land to leave. You did this in front of your people Israel. You gave this land to the descendants {\cf2\super [226]} of Abraham forever. Abraham was your friend.

⁸ Abraham’s descendants lived in this land, and built a temple {\cf2\super [227]} for your name.

⁹ They said, ‘If trouble comes to us—the sword, punishment, sicknesses, or famine, we will stand in front of this temple and in front of you. Your name is on this temple. We will shout to you when we are in trouble. Then you will hear and save us.’

¹⁰ “But now, here are men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir! You would not let the people of Israel enter their lands when the people of Israel came out of Egypt. {\cf2\super [228]} So the people of Israel turned away and didn’t destroy those people.

¹¹ But see the kind of reward those people give us for not destroying them. They have come to force us out of your land. You gave this land to us.

¹² Our God, punish those people! We have no power against this large army that is coming against us! We don’t know what to do! That is why we look to you for help!” {\cf2\super [229]}

¹³ All the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their babies, wives, and children.

¹⁴ Then the Lord’s Spirit came on Jahaziel. Jahaziel was Zechariah’s son. Zechariah was Benaiah’s son. Benaiah was Jeiel’s son. And Jeiel was Mattaniah’s son. Jahaziel was a Levite and a descendant {\cf2\super [230]} of Asaph. In the middle of the meeting,

¹⁵ Jahaziel said, “Listen to me King Jehoshaphat, all you people living in Judah and Jerusalem! The Lord says this to you: ‘Don’t be afraid or worry about this large army, because the battle is not your battle. It is God’s battle!

¹⁶ Tomorrow, go down there and fight those people. They will come up through the Pass of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the valley on the other side of the Desert of Jeruel.

¹⁷ You won’t need to fight in this battle. Stand strong in your places. You will see the Lord save you. Judah and Jerusalem, don’t be afraid! Don’t worry! The Lord is with you, so go out against those people tomorrow.’”

¹⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed down low. His face touched the ground. And all the people of Judah and the people living in Jerusalem fell down in front of the Lord. And they all worshiped the Lord.

¹⁹ The Levites from the Kohath family groups and the Korah family stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel. Their voices were very loud as they gave praise to the Lord.

²⁰ Jehoshaphat’s army went out into the Desert of Tekoa early in the morning. As they were starting out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me people of Judah and you people from Jerusalem. Have faith in the Lord your God, and then you will stand strong. Have faith in the Lord’s prophets. You will succeed!”

²¹ Jehoshaphat encouraged and instructed the people. Then he chose men to be singers to the Lord. Those singers were chosen to give praise to the Lord because he is holy and wonderful. They marched in front of the army and praised the Lord. They sang the song, Praise the Lord, because his love continues forever! {\cf2\super [231]}

²² As those men began to sing and to praise God, the Lord set an ambush {\cf2\super [232]} for the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir. Those were the people that came to attack Judah. Those people were beaten.

²³ The Ammonites and the Moabites started to fight against the men from Mount Seir. The Ammonites and the Moabites killed and destroyed the men from Mount Seir. After they had killed the men from Seir, they killed each other.

²⁴ The men from Judah arrived at the lookout point in the desert. They looked for the enemy’s large army. But they only saw dead bodies lying on the ground. No person had survived.

²⁵ Jehoshaphat and his army came to take valuable things from the bodies. They found many animals, riches, clothes, and valuable things. Jehoshaphat and his army took those things for themselves. The things were more than Jehoshaphat and his people could carry away. They spent three days taking away the valuable things from the dead bodies, because there was so much.

²⁶ On the fourth day Jehoshaphat and his army met in the Valley of Beracah. {\cf2\super [233]} They gave praise to (blessed) the Lord in that place. That is why people still call that place, “The Valley of Beracah.”

²⁷ Then Jehoshaphat led all the men from Judah and Jerusalem back home to Jerusalem. The Lord made them very happy because their enemies were defeated.

²⁸ They came to Jerusalem with lyres, {\cf2\super [234]} harps, and trumpets and went to the Lord’s temple. {\cf2\super [235]}

²⁹ All the kingdoms in all the countries feared the Lord because they heard that the Lord fought against Israel’s enemies.

³⁰ That is why Jehoshaphat’s kingdom had peace. Jehoshaphat’s God gave him peace all around him.

³¹ Jehoshaphat ruled over the country of Judah. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he began to rule. He ruled 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah. Azubah was Shilhi’s daughter.

³² Jehoshaphat lived the right way like Asa his father lived. Jehoshaphat didn’t turn from following Asa’s way. Jehoshaphat did right in the Lord’s sight.

³³ But the high places {\cf2\super [236]} were not taken away. And the people didn’t turn their hearts to follow the God their ancestors {\cf2\super [237]} followed.

³⁴ The other things Jehoshaphat did, from beginning to end, are written in The Official Records of Jehu son of Hanoni. These things were copied and included in the book, The History of the Kings of Israel.