2 Chronicles — Chapter 20

📖 2 Chronicles — Chapter 20 (KJV)

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Scripture source: Project Gutenberg KJV, ebook 10.

2 Chronicles 20:1 It came to pass ^Rafter 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 Chronicles 20:2 Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from ^Rbeyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.

2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat ^Rfeared, and set ^Thimself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

2 Chronicles 20:4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ^Rask help of the LORD: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

2 Chronicles 20:5 And ^RJehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

2 Chronicles 20:6 And said, ^RO 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?

2 Chronicles 20:7 Art not thou ^Rour God, ^Twho didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

2 Chronicles 20:8 And they dwelt therein, and have ^Rbuilt thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

2 Chronicles 20:9 ^RIf, 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.

2 Chronicles 20:10 And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, ^Rwhom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

2 Chronicles 20:11 Behold, I say, ^Rhow they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

2 Chronicles 20:12 O our God, ^Rwilt 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.

2 Chronicles 20:13 And ^Rall Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

2 Chronicles 20:14 ^RThen 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;

2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, ^RBe not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

2 Chronicles 20:16 To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the ^Tcliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the ^Tbrook, before the wilderness of Jeruel.

2 Chronicles 20:17 Ye shall ^Rnot 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.

2 Chronicles 20:18 And Jehoshaphat ^Rbowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

2 Chronicles 20:19 And the ^RLevites, 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.

2 Chronicles 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of ^RTekoa: 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.

2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had ^Rconsulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and ^Tthat 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.

2 Chronicles 20:22 ^TAnd ^Rwhen they began ^Tto sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and ^Tthey were smitten.

2 Chronicles 20:23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of ^Rmount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped ^Tto destroy another.

2 Chronicles 20:24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, ^Rthey were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and ^Tnone escaped.

2 Chronicles 20:25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, ^Rthey 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.

2 Chronicles 20:26 And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah; for there they ^Rblessed the LORD: therefore the name of the same place was called, The valley of ^TBerachah, unto this day.

2 Chronicles 20:27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in the ^RTforefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

2 Chronicles 20:28 And they came to Jerusalem ^Rwith psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 20:29 And ^Rthe fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

2 Chronicles 20:30 So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for ^Rhis God gave him rest round about.

2 Chronicles 20:31 And ^RJehoshaphat 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.

2 Chronicles 20:32 And ^Rhe walked in the way of Asa his father, and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 20:33 Howbeit ^Rthe high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

2 Chronicles 20:34 Now ^Rthe rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the ^Tbook of Jehu the son of Hanani, who ^Tis mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

2 Chronicles 20:35 And after this ^Rdid Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly:

2 Chronicles 20:36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to ^RTarshish: and they made the ships in Eziongaber.

2 Chronicles 20:37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, ^RBecause 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.

📚 Study This Chapter

📖 What We’re Reading

2 Chronicles 20:1–13 — Eyes upon God in danger

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

A great coalition threatens Judah. Jehoshaphat seeks the LORD, calls a fast, and prays before the gathered people. He remembers God's power and promise while admitting they lack strength and do not know what to do. The prayer models honest dependence without pretending fear and uncertainty are absent.

Key Truth: Bring fear and uncertainty honestly before God.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

2 Chronicles 20:14–30 — Deliverance and thanksgiving

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

Jahaziel brings God's instruction, and the people worship and follow it. Singers praise God's enduring mercy, the enemy forces destroy one another, and Judah returns with joy. This particular deliverance follows a specific divine message; praise is not a technique that guarantees the same outcome in every crisis.

Key Truth: Trust God's word and give thanks for his help.

Check What You Remember

📖 What We’re Reading

2 Chronicles 20:31–37 — A faithful reign with an unwise alliance

🌱 What These Verses Teach Us

The closing assessment recognizes Jehoshaphat's right conduct while noting remaining high places and the people's unprepared hearts. He later joins wicked Ahaziah in a shipping venture, which a prophet rebukes and which fails. Earlier deliverance does not remove the need for discernment in later partnerships.

Key Truth: Continue discerning faithfully after a great deliverance.

Check What You Remember

Related Scripture (KJV)

Psalms 56:3 — The psalm turns fear into trust in God.

Psalms 56:3 (KJV) What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

This related passage is selected for its connection with this chapter. It is separate from the chapter text.

Reflect and Apply

How can you admit uncertainty while keeping your attention on God?

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