Study Desk

And, behold, I have appointed priests over you, that they may judge just and faithful judgments according to the commandment of the LORD. And Zechariah the son of Shemiah declared to all the people of Judah all the commandments of the king; he also declared to the scribes and the Levites, repeating everything before them, saying, Deal courageously, and the LORD will help you for ever.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and he raised up his face to pray before the LORD and proclaimed a fast for all the inhabitants of Judah. And he said to them, Gather yourselves together and come let us beseech the LORD our God.

And thou art our God, who didst destroy the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the descendants of Abraham thy friend for ever.

And they have dwelt in it, and have built in it a sanctuary for thy name, saying,

Now, because there is a sanctuary among us, no evil shall come upon us, nor the sword nor judgment nor pestilence nor famine; and we shall come and stand before this house and before thee (for thy name has been invoked in this house), and we will pray before thee in this house, and thou wilt hear our prayer and save us.

O our God, make thyself known and judge them, for we have no strength to stand before them; bring upon them the sword of thy judgment, for we do not know what to do; but our eyes are upon thee.

And he said, Hearken, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat, thus says the LORD your God: Be not afraid nor dismayed because of this great army; for the battle is not yours, but Gods.

And in that hour, stand still and see the salvation that the LORD will do for you, O Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them; for the LORD God will help you.

Then he stood in the midst of the people and said, Come, let us give thanks to the LORD, and give praise to the excellency of his holiness, as he is going forth before our armies to fight for us against our enemies. And they said, Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever. Then the hills began to give praise and the mountains began to rejoice.

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.

And when Jehoshaphat and the people of Israel came to take away the spoil from them, they found among them an abundance of booty: riches, bridles, horses, and precious jewels, and they took for themselves whatever they desired.

And it came to pass after three days, when they were through taking the spoil, because it was so much, they assembled themselves on the fourth day in the valley of Borktha; for there they blessed the LORD God; therefore the name of that place was called the valley of Borktha to this day.

Then all the men of Judah returned to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat at their head, for they were returning to Jerusalem rejoicing; for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.

So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for the LORD gave him rest on all sides.

However the shrines on the high places were not removed; for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the God of their fathers.

And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab; for Ahabs sister was his wife; and he did that which was evil in the presence of the LORD.

However the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David anti because he had promised to give an heir to him and to his sons for ever.

And you yourself shall die with a severe sickness; and you shall be consumed with a great torment until your bowels fall out because of your sickness. And you shall be tormented for many years.

And it came to pass that in the process of time, after the end of two years, the word of the prophet was fulfilled, his bowels fell out because of his sickness; so he died of sore disease. And his people did not honor him with a funeral according to the manner they had done for his fathers.

THEN the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead; for raiders had come to the camp and slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.