Study Desk

Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful."

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his ^(F65) holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD , for his love endures forever."

As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing ^(F66) and also articles of value-more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.

On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD . This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah ^(F67) to this day.

Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.

They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets.

The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.