The Second Book of Divre Hayamim, starting at chapter 19
{19:1} Yehoshafat the king of Yehudah returned to his house in
shalom to Yerushalayim. {19:2} Yehu the son of Hanani the seer went
out to meet him, and said to king Yehoshafat, Should you help the
wicked, and love those who hate the LORD? for this thing wrath is on
you from before the LORD. {19:3} Nevertheless there are good things
found in you, in that you have put away the Asherot out of the land,
and have set your heart to seek God. {19:4} Yehoshafat lived at
Yerushalayim: and he went out again among the people from Be'er-Sheva
to the hill-country of Efrayim, and brought them back to the LORD, the
God of their fathers. {19:5} He set judges in the land throughout all
the fortified cities of Yehudah, city by city, {19:6} and said to the
judges, Consider what you do: for you don't judge for man, but for the
LORD; and [he is] with you in the judgment. {19:7} Now therefore let
the fear of the LORD be on you; take heed and do it: for there is no
iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of
bribes. {19:8} Moreover in Yerushalayim did Yehoshafat set of the
Levites and the [1>]Kohanim[<1], and of the heads of the fathers'
[houses] of Yisra'el, for the judgment of the LORD, and for
controversies. They returned to Yerushalayim. {19:9} He charged them,
saying, Thus shall you do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and
with a perfect heart. {19:10} Whenever any controversy shall come to
you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and
blood, between law and [2>]mitzvah[<2], statutes and ordinances, you
shall warn them, that they not be guilty towards the LORD, and so
wrath come on you and on your brothers: this do, and you shall not be
guilty. {19:11} Behold, Amaryah the chief [3>]Kohen[<3] is over you in
all matters of the LORD; and Zevadyah the son of Yishma'el, the ruler
of the house of Yehudah, in all the king's matters: also the Levites
shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD be with
the good.
{20:1} It happened after this, that the children of Mo'av, and the
children of `Ammon, and with them some of the Me`unim, came against
Yehoshafat to battle. {20:2} Then there came some who told Yehoshafat,
saying, There comes a great multitude against you from beyond the sea
from Aram; and, behold, they are in Hatzatzon-Tamar (the same is
`En-Gedi). {20:3} Yehoshafat feared, and set himself to seek to the
LORD; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Yehudah. {20:4} Yehudah
gathered themselves together, to seek [help] of the LORD: even out of
all the cities of Yehudah they came to seek the LORD. {20:5}
Yehoshafat stood in the assembly of Yehudah and Yerushalayim, in the
house of the LORD, before the new court; {20:6} and he said, LORD, the
God of our fathers, aren't you God in heaven? and aren't you ruler
over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in your hand is power and
might, so that none is able to withstand you. {20:7} Did not you, our
God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people
Yisra'el, and give it to the seed of Avraham your friend forever?
{20:8} They lived therein, and have built you a sanctuary therein for
your name, saying, {20:9} If evil come on us, the sword, judgment, or
pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before
you, (for your name is in this house,) and cry to you in our
affliction, and you will hear and save. {20:10} Now, behold, the
children of `Ammon and Mo'av and Mount Se`ir, whom you would not let
Yisra'el invade, when they came out of the land of Mitzrayim, but they
turned aside from them, and didn't destroy them; {20:11} behold, how
they reward us, to come to cast us out of your possession, which you
have given us to inherit. {20:12} Our God, will you not judge them?
for we have no might against this great company that comes against us;
neither know we what to do: but out eyes are on you. {20:13} All
Yehudah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives,
and their children. {20:14} Then on Yachazi'el the son of Zekharyah,
the son of Benayah, the son of Ye`i'el, the son of Mattanyah, the
Levite, of the sons of Asaf, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst
of the assembly; {20:15} and he said, Listen you, all Yehudah, and you
inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and you king Yehoshafat: Thus says the
LORD to you, Don't be afraid you, neither be dismayed by reason of
this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. {20:16}
Tomorrow go you down against them: behold, they come up by the ascent
of Tzitz; and you shall find them at the end of the valley, before the
wilderness of Yeru'el. {20:17} You shall not need to fight in this
[battle]: set yourselves, stand you still, and see the salvation of
the LORD with you, O Yehudah and Yerushalayim; don't be afraid, nor be
dismayed: tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD is with you.
{20:18} Yehoshafat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all
Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim fell down before the LORD,
worshipping the LORD. {20:19} The Levites, of the children of the
Kehati and of the children of the Korchi, stood up to praise the LORD,
the God of Yisra'el, with an exceeding loud voice. {20:20} They rose
early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and
as they went forth, Yehoshafat stood and said, Hear me, Yehudah, and
you inhabitants of Yerushalayim: believe in the LORD your God, so
shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you prosper.
{20:21} When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those
who should sing to the LORD, and give praise in holy array, as they
went out before the army, and say, Give thanks to the LORD; for his
lovingkindness endures forever. {20:22} When they began to sing and to
praise, the LORD set liers-in-wait against the children of `Ammon,
Mo'av, and Mount Se`ir, who had come against Yehudah; and they were
struck. {20:23} For the children of `Ammon and Mo'av stood up against
the inhabitants of Mount Se`ir, utterly to kill and destroy them: and
when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Se`ir, everyone helped
to destroy another. {20:24} When Yehudah came to the watch-tower of
the wilderness, they looked at the multitude; and, behold, they were
dead bodies fallen to the [1>]eretz[<1], and there were none who
escaped. {20:25} When Yehoshafat and his people came to take the spoil
of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead
bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves,
more than they could carry away: and they were three days in taking
the spoil, it was so much. {20:26} On the fourth day they assembled
themselves in the valley of Berakha; for there they blessed the LORD:
therefore the name of that place was called The valley of Berakha to
this day. {20:27} Then they returned, every man of Yehudah and
Yerushalayim, and Yehoshafat in the forefront of them, to go again to
Yerushalayim with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over
their enemies. {20:28} They came to Yerushalayim with psalteries and
lyres and trumpets to the house of the LORD. {20:29} The fear of God
was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that the
LORD fought against the enemies of Yisra'el. {20:30} So the realm of
Yehoshafat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about. {20:31}
Yehoshafat reigned over Yehudah: he was thirty-five years old when he
began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Yerushalayim: and
his mother's name was `Azuvah the daughter of Shilchi. {20:32} He
walked in the way of Asa his father, and didn't turn aside from it,
doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD. {20:33} However
the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set
their hearts to the God of their fathers. {20:34} Now the rest of the
acts of Yehoshafat, first and last, behold, they are written in the
history of Yehu the son of Hanani, which is inserted in the book of
the kings of Yisra'el. {20:35} After this did Yehoshafat king of
Yehudah join himself with Achazyah king of Yisra'el; the same did very
wickedly: {20:36} and he joined himself with him to make ships to go
to Tarshish; and they made the ships in `Etzyon-Gever. {20:37} Then
Eli`ezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against
Yehoshafat, saying, Because you have joined yourself with Achazyah,
the LORD has destroyed your works. The ships were broken, so that they
were not able to go to Tarshish.
{21:1} Yehoshafat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his
fathers in the city of David: and Yehoram his son reigned in his
place. {21:2} He had brothers, the sons of Yehoshafat: `Azaryah, and
Yechi'el, and Zekharyah, and `Azaryah, and Mikha'el, and Shefatyah;
all these were the sons of Yehoshafat king of Yisra'el. {21:3} Their
father gave them great gifts, of silver, and of gold, and of precious
things, with fortified cities in Yehudah: but the kingdom gave he to
Yehoram, because he was the firstborn. {21:4} Now when Yehoram was
risen up over the kingdom of his father, and had strengthened himself,
he killed all his brothers with the sword, and various also of the
princes of Yisra'el. {21:5} Yehoram was thirty-two years old when he
began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Yerushalayim. {21:6} He
walked in the way of the kings of Yisra'el, as did the house of
Ach'av; for he had the daughter of Ach'av as wife: and he did that
which was evil in the sight of the LORD. {21:7} However the LORD would
not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had
made with David, and as he promised to give a lamp to him and to his
children always. {21:8} In his days Edom revolted from under the hand
of Yehudah, and made a king over themselves. {21:9} Then Yehoram
passed over with his captains, and all his chariots with him: and he
rose up by night, and struck the Edom who surrounded him, along with
the captains of the chariots. {21:10} So Edom revolted from under the
hand of Yehudah to this day: then did Livna revolt at the same time
from under his hand, because he had forsaken the LORD, the God of his
fathers. {21:11} Moreover he made high places in the mountains of
Yehudah, and made the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to play the
prostitute, and led Yehudah astray. {21:12} There came a writing to
him from Eliyah the prophet, saying, Thus says the LORD, the God of
David your father, Because you have not walked in the ways of
Yehoshafat your father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Yehudah,
{21:13} but have walked in the way of the kings of Yisra'el, and have
made Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim to play the
prostitute, like as the house of Ach'av did, and also have slain your
brothers of your father's house, who were better than yourself:
{21:14} behold, the LORD will strike with a great plague your people,
and your children, and your wives, and all your substance; {21:15} and
you shall have great sickness by disease of your bowels, until your
bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day. {21:16} The
LORD stirred up against Yehoram the spirit of the Pelishtim, and of
the `Aravi'im who are beside the Kushim: {21:17} and they came up
against Yehudah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance
that was found in the king's house, and his sons also, and his wives;
so that there was never a son left him, save Yeho'achaz, the youngest
of his sons. {21:18} After all this the LORD struck him in his bowels
with an incurable disease. {21:19} It happened, in process of time, at
the end of two years, that his bowels fell out by reason of his
sickness, and he died of sore diseases. His people made no burning for
him, like the burning of his fathers. {21:20} Thirty-two years old was
he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Yerushalayim eight years:
and he departed without being desired; and they buried him in the city
of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
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Footnotes:
[1] {19:8} priests
[2] {19:10} commandment
[3] {19:11} priest
[1] {20:24} earth
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