1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. 2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
5 ¶ And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, 6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? 7 Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying, 9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. 10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not; 11 Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit. 12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee. 13 And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 ¶ Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation; 15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still , and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. 19 And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
20 ¶ And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
22 ¶ And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. 23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. 24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped. 25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.
26 ¶ And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they blessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of Berachah, unto this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28 And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD. 29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.
31 ¶ And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah: he was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD. 33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers. 34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 ¶ And after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly: 36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber. 37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
Moābiešu un amoniešu iebrukums
1 Pēc tam Moāba dēli, Āmona dēli un kopā arī meūnieši nāca karot ar Jehošāfātu. 2 Tad ļaudis atnāca pie Jehošāfāta un paziņoja: “Milzīgs pulks nāk pret tevi no jūras otras puses, no Arāmas! Redzi, tie jau ir Hacecon-Tāmārā, kas ir Ēn-Gedī.” 3 Tad Jehošāfāts izbijās un apņēmās iztaujāt Kungu. Viņš visā Jūdā izsludināja gavēni. 4 Jūda tika sapulcināts, lai rastu Kunga palīdzību. Arī no visām Jūdas pilsētām ļaudis sanāca rast Kunga palīdzību.
Jehošāfāta lūgšana un uzvara
5 Jehošāfāts kopā ar Jūdas un Jeruzālemes sapulcētajiem nostājās Kunga namā, jaunā pagalma priekšā, 6 un sacīja: “Kungs, mūsu tēvu Dievs! Vai tu neesi debesu Dievs, kas valdi pār visu tautu valstīm? Tev ir spēks un vara! Nav tāda, kas stāv tev līdzās! 7 Vai tu neesi mūsu Dievs, kas izdzini no šīs zemes tās iemītniekus tavas tautas Israēla priekšā un devi to Ābrahāma dzimumam, kas iemīlējis tevi uz mūžiem! 8 Viņi tur apmetās un cēla svētvietu tavam vārdam, sacīdami: 9 ja mūs ķers ļaunums, sodības zobens, mēris vai bads un mēs nostāsimies šī nama un tavā priekšā, jo tavs vārds mājo šajā namā, un mēs piesauksim tevi savās bēdās, tad tu uzklausi un glāb mūs! 10 Un, redzi, Āmona, Moāba un Seīra kalnu iemītnieki, caur kuru zemi tu neļāvi iet Israēlam, kad tas nāca no Ēģiptes zemes, un tas tiem pagāja garām, tos neiznīcinājis, 11 redzi, tie nāk, lai atmaksātu mums, lai padzītu mūs no tava īpašuma, ko tu mums esi devis mantojumā! 12 Ak, mūsu Dievs! Vai tu tos netiesāsi, jo mums nav spēka pretoties šim milzīgajam pulkam, kas nāk pret mums, un mēs nezinām, ko darīt, raugāmies vienīgi uz tevi!”
13 Visi jūdi stāvēja Kunga priekšā, arī viņu bērni, sievas un dēli.
14 Un pār Jahaziēlu, Zeharjahu dēlu, Benājāhu dēlu, Jeiēla dēlu, Matanjas dēlu, levītu no Āsāfa dēliem, šajā sapulcē nāca Kunga Gars! 15 Un viņš sacīja: “Pielūko, Jūda un Jeruzālemes ļaudis, un ķēniņ Jehošāfāt, tā jums saka Kungs: nebīstieties un neesiet izmisuši šī milzīgā pulka dēļ, jo tas nav jūsu, bet Dieva karš! 16 Rīt dodieties pret tiem; redzi, tie nāks augšup pa Cīcas pāreju, un jūs tos sastapsiet ielejas galā pie Jeruēla tuksneša. 17 Šajā kaujā jums nebūs jākaro – tikai jānostājas, jāstāv un jānoraugās, kā Kungs jūs glābj, Jūda un Jeruzāleme! Nebīstieties un nebaiļojieties, rīt dodieties pret tiem, un Kungs būs ar jums!” 18 Tad Jehošāfāts noliecās ar seju līdz zemei, un arī Jeruzālemes iedzīvotāji krita Kunga priekšā un pateicās Kungam. 19 Levīti, kehātiešu dēli un korahiešu dēli nostājās, lai skaļā balsī slavētu Kungu, Israēla Dievu!
20 Viņi cēlās agri no rīta un devās uz Tekoas tuksnesi. Pirms tie devās ceļā, Jehošāfāts nostājās un sacīja: “Klausies, Jūda un Jeruzālemes ļaudis, uzticieties Kungam, savam Dievam, paļaujieties uz viņa praviešiem, tad jums veiksies!” 21 Apspriedies ar ļaudīm, viņš iecēla dziedātājus Kungam un tos, kam jāslavē Kungs svētā pielūgsmē! Tie devās karaspēkam pa priekšu un sauca:
“Pateicieties Kungam,
jo viņa žēlastība ir mūžīga!”
22 Kad viņi sāka priekā gavilēt un slavēt, Kungs izlika slazdus Āmona dēliem, moābiešiem un Seīra kalnu iemītniekiem, kas nāca pret Jūdu, un tie tika iznīdēti. 23 Āmona dēli un moābieši stājās pret Seīra kalnu iemītniekiem, lai tos satriektu un iznīcinātu. Nogalinājuši Seīra kalnu iemītniekus, tie sāka galēt cits citu! 24 Kad jūdi nonāca vietā, no kuras pārredzams tuksnesis, tie ieraudzīja pulku, un, redzi, līķi vien gulēja zemē, neviens nebija paglābies! 25 Tad Jehošāfāts ar saviem ļaudīm devās laupīt, kas laupāms, un viņi tur atrada milzum daudz mantu, drānu un dārglietu. Viņu guvums bija tāds, ka ne panest! Viņi tur palika trīs dienas, jo laupāmā bija ļoti daudz. 26 Ceturtajā dienā viņi sapulcējās Brāhas ielejā, un tur viņi pateicās Kungam. Tādēļ to vietu līdz šai dienai sauc par Brāhas ieleju. 27 Pēc tam visi Jūdas un Jeruzālemes vīri ar Jehošāfātu priekšgalā ar prieku atgriezās Jeruzālemē, jo Kungs tos bija iepriecinājis, sakaudams ienaidniekus. 28 Ar arfām, lirām un taurēm viņi devās uz Jeruzālemi, uz Kunga namu. 29 Pār visām zemes valstīm, kur vien to uzzināja, tagad nāca Dieva šausmas, jo Kungs bija karojis ar Israēla ienaidniekiem! 30 Jehošāfāta valsts vairs netika traucēta – Dievs bija devis mieru visapkārt.
Jehošāfāta valdīšanas beigas
(1Ķēn 22:41–50)31 Jehošāfātam bija trīsdesmit pieci gadi, kad viņš sāka valdīt Jūdā. Viņš valdīja Jeruzālemē divdesmit piecus gadus. Viņa mātes vārds bija Azūba, Šilhī meita. 32 Viņš staigāja sava tēva Āsas ceļu un nenovērsās no tiem, darīja tikai to, kas tīkams Kungam. 33 Vienīgi augstieņu altārus viņš nenovāca. Ļaužu sirdis nebija pilnīgi nodevušās savu tēvu Dievam.
34 Un pārējie Jehošāfāta darbi no pirmā līdz pēdējam – redzi, tie ir aprakstīti Jehus, Hānānī dēla, stāstos, kurus viņš pierakstījis Israēla ķēniņu grāmatā!
35 Pēc tam Jūdas ķēniņš Jehošāfāts vienojās ar Israēla ķēniņu Ahazjāhu, kurš darīja ļaunu. 36 Viņi vienojās būvēt kuģus, ar kuriem braukt uz Taršīšu. Kuģus viņi būvēja Ecjon-Geberā. 37 Tad Elīezers, Dodāvāhu dēls, no Mārēšas, pravietoja Jehošāfātam: “Tādēļ ka tu vienojies ar Ahazjāhu, Kungs satrieks to, ko tu taisīji!” – kuģi tika sadragāti un nenokļuva Taršīšā!
