Part 261 (1/2)
2 Paralipomenon Chapter 20
The Ammonites, Moabites, and Syrians combine against Josaphat: he seeketh G.o.d's help by public prayer and fasting. A prophet foretelleth that G.o.d will fight for his people: the enemies destroy one another.
Josaphat with his men gathereth the spoils. He reigneth in peace, but his navy perisheth, for his society with wicked Ochozias.
20:1. After this the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them of the Ammonites, were gathered together to fight against Josaphat.
20:2. And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh a great mult.i.tude against thee from beyond the sea, and out of Syria, and behold they are in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi.
20:3. And Josaphat being seized with fear betook himself wholly to pray to the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Juda.
20:4. And Juda gathered themselves together to pray to the Lord: and all came out of their cities to make supplication to him.
20:5. And Josaphat stood in the midst of the a.s.sembly of Juda, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court,
20:6. And said: O Lord G.o.d of our fathers, thou art G.o.d in heaven, and rulest over all the kingdoms and nations, in thy hand is strength and power, and no one can resist thee.
20:7. Didst not thou our G.o.d kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
20:8. And they dwelt in it, and built in it a sanctuary to thy name, saying:
20:9. If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in thy presence before this house, in which thy name is called upon: and we will cry to thee in our afflictions, and thou wilt hear, and save us.
20:10. Now therefore behold the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and mount Seir, through whose lands thou didst not allow Israel to pa.s.s, when they came out of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and slew them not,
20:11. Do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession which thou hast delivered to us.
20:12. O our G.o.d, wilt thou not then judge them? as for us we have not strength enough, to be able to resist this mult.i.tude, which cometh violently upon us. But as we know not what to do, we can only turn our eyes to thee.
20:13. And all Juda stood before the Lord with their little ones, and their wives, and their children.
20:14. And Jahaziel the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, was there, upon whom the spirit of the Lord came in the midst of the mult.i.tude,
20:15. And he said: Attend ye, all Juda, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: Thus saith the Lord to you: Fear ye not, and be not dismayed at this mult.i.tude: for the battle is not yours, but G.o.d's.
20:16. To morrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up by the ascent named Sis, and you shall find them at the head of the torrent, which is over against the wilderness of Jeruel.
20:17. It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand with confidence, and you shall see the help of the Lord over you, O Juda, and Jerusalem: fear ye not, nor be you dismayed: to morrow you shall go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.
20:18. Then Josaphat, and Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell flat on the ground before the Lord, and adored him.
20:19. And the Levites of the sons of Caath, and of the sons of Core praised the Lord the G.o.d of Israel with a loud voice, on high.
20:20. And they rose early in the morning, and went out through the desert of Thecua: and as they were marching, Josaphat standing in the midst of them, said: Hear me, ye men of Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your G.o.d, and you shall be secure: believe his prophets, and all things shall succeed well.
20:21. And he gave counsel to the people, and appointed the singing men of the Lord, to praise him by their companies, and to go before the army, and with one voice to say: Give glory to the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.
20:22. And when they began to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushments upon themselves, that is to say, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who were come out to fight against Juda, and they were slain.
20:23. For the children of Ammon, and of Moab, rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of them, they turned also against one another, and destroyed one another.