Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Armies » March in ranks » Standing armies
Saul chose for himself 3,000 men of Israel; of whom 2,000 were with him in Michmash and in the hill country of Bethel, while 1,000 were with Jonathan at Gibeah of Benjamin. But he sent the rest of the people away, each one to his own tent.
Solomon acquired chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the cities [suited for the use] of chariots and with the king at Jerusalem.
And Jehoshaphat became very great. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and soldiers, mighty men of courage, in Jerusalem. This was the number of them by their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; read more.
Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
And Uzziah had a combat army for waging war by regiments according to the number as recorded by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king's commanders. The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses of mighty men of valor was 2,600. Under their command was an army of 307,500 who could fight with mighty power to help the king against the enemy. read more.
Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones to sling. In Jerusalem he made machines invented by skillful men to be on the towers and the [corner] bulwarks, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped till he was strong.
Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones to sling. In Jerusalem he made machines invented by skillful men to be on the towers and the [corner] bulwarks, with which to shoot arrows and great stones. And his fame spread far, for he was marvelously helped till he was strong.
Armies » Generals of corps and divisions
And Jehoshaphat became very great. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and soldiers, mighty men of courage, in Jerusalem. This was the number of them by their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; read more.
Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
The total of the numbered men [of the three tribes on the north side] in the camp of Dan was 157,600. They shall move out last, standard after standard.”
Those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, by their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall lead the sons of Judah,
This is the list of the Israelites, the heads of fathers' houses, the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in all matters of the divisions that came and went, month by month throughout the year, each division numbering 24,000. Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam son of Zabdiel. In his division were 24,000. He was descended from Perez and was chief of all the commanders of the army for the first month. read more.
Over the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; and of his division Mikloth was the chief officer. In his division were 24,000. The third commander of the army for the third month was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest, as chief. In his division were 24,000. This is the Benaiah who was a mighty man of the Thirty and over the Thirty; and in his division was Ammizabad his son. The fourth, for the fourth month, Asahel brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him. In his division were 24,000. The fifth, for the fifth month, Shamhuth the Izrahite. In his division were 24,000. The sixth, for the sixth month, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. In his division were 24,000. The seventh, for the seventh month, Helez the Pelonite, of the Ephraimites. In his division were 24,000. The eighth, for the eighth month, Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarahites. In his division were 24,000. The ninth, for the ninth month, Abiezer of Anathoth, a Benjamite. In his division were 24,000. The tenth, for the tenth month, Maharai from Netophah, of the Zerahites. In his division were 24,000. The eleventh, for the eleventh month, Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the sons of Ephraim. In his division were 24,000. The twelfth, for the twelfth month, Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel. In his division were 24,000. Also over the tribes of Israel: of the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zichri was chief officer; of the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maachah; Of Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; of Aaron: Zadok; Of Judah: Elihu, one of David's brothers; of Issachar: Omri son of Michael; Of Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; of Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel; Of the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah; of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah; Of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; of Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner; Of Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
Over the division for the second month was Dodai the Ahohite; and of his division Mikloth was the chief officer. In his division were 24,000. The third commander of the army for the third month was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest, as chief. In his division were 24,000. This is the Benaiah who was a mighty man of the Thirty and over the Thirty; and in his division was Ammizabad his son. The fourth, for the fourth month, Asahel brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him. In his division were 24,000. The fifth, for the fifth month, Shamhuth the Izrahite. In his division were 24,000. The sixth, for the sixth month, Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite. In his division were 24,000. The seventh, for the seventh month, Helez the Pelonite, of the Ephraimites. In his division were 24,000. The eighth, for the eighth month, Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarahites. In his division were 24,000. The ninth, for the ninth month, Abiezer of Anathoth, a Benjamite. In his division were 24,000. The tenth, for the tenth month, Maharai from Netophah, of the Zerahites. In his division were 24,000. The eleventh, for the eleventh month, Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the sons of Ephraim. In his division were 24,000. The twelfth, for the twelfth month, Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel. In his division were 24,000. Also over the tribes of Israel: of the Reubenites: Eliezer son of Zichri was chief officer; of the Simeonites: Shephatiah son of Maachah; Of Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel; of Aaron: Zadok; Of Judah: Elihu, one of David's brothers; of Issachar: Omri son of Michael; Of Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah; of Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel; Of the Ephraimites: Hoshea son of Azaziah; of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah; Of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah; of Benjamin: Jaasiel son of Abner; Of Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham. These were the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
Captain » Leader
So the cohort and their commander and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him,
Of the three in the second [rank] he was the most honored and became their captain; however, he did not attain to the first three [Jashobeam, Eleazar, and Shammah].
Of the tribe of Naphtali, there were 1,000 captains, and with them 37,000 [of the rank and file armed] with shield and spear.
This was the number of them by their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. read more.
Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Jehoshaphat » King of judah » His military forces and armaments
And Jehoshaphat became very great. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and soldiers, mighty men of courage, in Jerusalem. This was the number of them by their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; read more.
Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Jehozabad » A benjamite » Chief » Commander » Army
and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 armed and ready for military service.
Kings » Who reigned over judah » Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. He walked in all the ways or customs of Asa his father, never swerving from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. However, the [idolatrous] high places were not taken away; for the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. read more.
And Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel's king. The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, his might that he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And the remnant of the sodomites (the male cult prostitutes) who remained in the days of his father Asa, [Jehoshaphat] expelled from the country. There was no king in Edom; a deputy was acting king. Jehoshaphat ordered ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. When Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships, Jehoshaphat refused. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father [forefather]. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
And Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel's king. The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, his might that he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And the remnant of the sodomites (the male cult prostitutes) who remained in the days of his father Asa, [Jehoshaphat] expelled from the country. There was no king in Edom; a deputy was acting king. Jehoshaphat ordered ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. When Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships, Jehoshaphat refused. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father [forefather]. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
Jehoshaphat his son reigned in Asa's stead and strengthened himself against Israel. And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father [David]. He did not seek the Baals read more.
But sought and yearned with all his desire for the Lord, the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not after the ways of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. His heart was cheered and his courage was high in the ways of the Lord; moreover, he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah; And with them were the Levites -- "Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; and with these Levites were the priests Elishama and Jehoram. And they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. And a terror from the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute silver, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 each of rams and of he-goats. And Jehoshaphat became very great. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and soldiers, mighty men of courage, in Jerusalem. This was the number of them by their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah. Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, but was allied [by marriage] with Ahab. After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people with him and persuaded him to go up with him against Ramoth-gilead. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead? He answered, I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray you, for the word of the Lord today. So King [Ahab] of Israel gathered together the prophets, 400 men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not another prophet of the Lord here by whom we may inquire? King [Ahab] of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is another man, Micaiah son of Imla, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never has prophesied good for me, but always evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. And King [Ahab] of Israel called for one of his officers and said, Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imla. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes; they were sitting in an open place [at the threshing floor] at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made himself horns of iron, and said, Thus says the Lord: With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed. All the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper; the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand. The messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, Behold, the words of the prophets foretell good to the king with one accord. So let your word be like one of them, and speak favorably. But Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, what my God says, that will I speak. And when he had come to the king, King [Ahab] said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. And the king said to him, How many times shall I warn you to tell nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord? Then Micaiah said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace. And King [Ahab] of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good to me, but evil? [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing at His right hand and His left. And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this thing, and another that. Then there came a spirit and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. The Lord said to him, By what means? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall entice him and also succeed. Go forth and do so. Now, you see, the Lord put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets; and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you? And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself. Then King [Ahab] of Israel said, Take Micaiah back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, And say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread and water of affliction until I return in peace. Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he [added], Hear it, you people, all of you! So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. And [Ahab] king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and will go to the battle, but you put on your royal robes. So King Ahab of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle. Now Syria's king had commanded his chariot captains, Fight not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel. And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat [of Judah], they said, It is the king of Israel. So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. For when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. A certain man drew his bow at a venture and smote King [Ahab] of Israel between the lower armor and the breastplate. So Ahab said to his chariot driver, Turn, carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day; however, King [Ahab] of Israel propped himself up in his chariot opposite the Syrians until evening, and about sunset he died. Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him and said to Jehoshaphat, Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. But there are good things found in you, for you have destroyed the Asherim out of the land and have set your heart to seek God [with all your soul's desire]. Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. He appointed judges throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, And said to the judges, Be careful what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord, and He is with you in the matter of judgment. So now let the reverence and fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking of bribes. Also in Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat set certain Levites, priests, and heads of families of Israel to give judgment for the Lord and decide controversies. When they [of the commission] returned to Jerusalem, The king charged them, Do this in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, with integrity and a blameless heart. Whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you shall warn and instruct them that they may not be guilty before the Lord; otherwise wrath will come upon you and your brethren. Do this and you will not be guilty. And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters; also the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously [be strong and do], and may the Lord be with the good! After this, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. It was told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah. And Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord [yearning for Him with all their desire]. And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. Did not You, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? They dwelt in it and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your Name, saying, If evil comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You -- "for Your Name [and the symbol of Your presence] is in this house -- "and cry to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save. And now behold, the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they turned from and did not destroy -- " Behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their children and their wives. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. He said, Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him. And some Levites of the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. And they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe and remain steadfast to His prophets and you shall prosper. When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were [self-] slaughtered; For [suspecting betrayal] the men of Ammon and Moab rose against those of Mount Seir, utterly destroying them. And when they had made an end of the men of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped! When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away, so much they were three days in gathering the spoil. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah. There they blessed the Lord. So the name of the place is still called the Valley of Beracah [blessing]. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat leading them, to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord. And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about. Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began his twenty-five-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the ways of Asa his father and departed not from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. But the high places [of idolatry] were not taken away, for the people had not yet set their hearts on their fathers' God. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, they are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are in the Book of the Kings of Israel. After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly. He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, building them in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have joined Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your works. So the ships were wrecked and unable to go to Tarshish. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with [them] in the City of David. Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
But sought and yearned with all his desire for the Lord, the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not after the ways of Israel. Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor. His heart was cheered and his courage was high in the ways of the Lord; moreover, he took away the high places and the Asherim out of Judah. Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah; And with them were the Levites -- "Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; and with these Levites were the priests Elishama and Jehoram. And they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught among the people. And a terror from the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute silver, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 each of rams and of he-goats. And Jehoshaphat became very great. He built in Judah fortresses and store cities, And he had many works in the cities of Judah, and soldiers, mighty men of courage, in Jerusalem. This was the number of them by their fathers' houses: Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, with 300,000 mighty men of valor; Next to him was Jehohanan the captain, with 280,000; And next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the Lord, with 200,000 mighty men of valor. Of Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, with 200,000 men armed with bow and shield; Next to him was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed for war. These were in the king's service, besides those [he] had placed in fortified cities throughout all Judah. Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, but was allied [by marriage] with Ahab. After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people with him and persuaded him to go up with him against Ramoth-gilead. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead? He answered, I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray you, for the word of the Lord today. So King [Ahab] of Israel gathered together the prophets, 400 men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand. But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not another prophet of the Lord here by whom we may inquire? King [Ahab] of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is another man, Micaiah son of Imla, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never has prophesied good for me, but always evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. And King [Ahab] of Israel called for one of his officers and said, Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imla. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes; they were sitting in an open place [at the threshing floor] at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made himself horns of iron, and said, Thus says the Lord: With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed. All the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper; the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand. The messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, Behold, the words of the prophets foretell good to the king with one accord. So let your word be like one of them, and speak favorably. But Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, what my God says, that will I speak. And when he had come to the king, King [Ahab] said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. And the king said to him, How many times shall I warn you to tell nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord? Then Micaiah said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace. And King [Ahab] of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good to me, but evil? [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing at His right hand and His left. And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this thing, and another that. Then there came a spirit and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. The Lord said to him, By what means? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall entice him and also succeed. Go forth and do so. Now, you see, the Lord put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets; and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you. Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you? And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself. Then King [Ahab] of Israel said, Take Micaiah back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, And say, Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread and water of affliction until I return in peace. Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he [added], Hear it, you people, all of you! So Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. And [Ahab] king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and will go to the battle, but you put on your royal robes. So King Ahab of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle. Now Syria's king had commanded his chariot captains, Fight not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel. And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat [of Judah], they said, It is the king of Israel. So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. For when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. A certain man drew his bow at a venture and smote King [Ahab] of Israel between the lower armor and the breastplate. So Ahab said to his chariot driver, Turn, carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day; however, King [Ahab] of Israel propped himself up in his chariot opposite the Syrians until evening, and about sunset he died. Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, went out to meet him and said to Jehoshaphat, Should you help the ungodly and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. But there are good things found in you, for you have destroyed the Asherim out of the land and have set your heart to seek God [with all your soul's desire]. Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. He appointed judges throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, And said to the judges, Be careful what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord, and He is with you in the matter of judgment. So now let the reverence and fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking of bribes. Also in Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat set certain Levites, priests, and heads of families of Israel to give judgment for the Lord and decide controversies. When they [of the commission] returned to Jerusalem, The king charged them, Do this in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, with integrity and a blameless heart. Whenever any controversy shall come to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you shall warn and instruct them that they may not be guilty before the Lord; otherwise wrath will come upon you and your brethren. Do this and you will not be guilty. And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters; also the Levites will serve you as officers. Deal courageously [be strong and do], and may the Lord be with the good! After this, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and with them the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat to battle. It was told Jehoshaphat, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the [Dead] Sea, from Edom; and behold they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi. Then Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [determinedly, as his vital need] to seek the Lord; he proclaimed a fast in all Judah. And Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord [yearning for Him with all their desire]. And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court And said, O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. Did not You, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? They dwelt in it and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your Name, saying, If evil comes upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You -- "for Your Name [and the symbol of Your presence] is in this house -- "and cry to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save. And now behold, the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they turned from and did not destroy -- " Behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You. And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their children and their wives. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. He said, Hearken, all Judah, you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says this to you: Be not afraid or dismayed at this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down to them. Behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the ravine before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You shall not need to fight in this battle; take your positions, stand still, and see the deliverance of the Lord [Who is] with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping Him. And some Levites of the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. And they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established; believe and remain steadfast to His prophets and you shall prosper. When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers to sing to the Lord and praise Him in their holy [priestly] garments as they went out before the army, saying, Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever! And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were [self-] slaughtered; For [suspecting betrayal] the men of Ammon and Moab rose against those of Mount Seir, utterly destroying them. And when they had made an end of the men of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another. And when Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they looked at the multitude, and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none had escaped! When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take the spoil, they found among them much cattle, goods, garments, and precious things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry away, so much they were three days in gathering the spoil. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah. There they blessed the Lord. So the name of the place is still called the Valley of Beracah [blessing]. Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat leading them, to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies. They came to Jerusalem with harps, lyres, and trumpets to the house of the Lord. And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest round about. Thus Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he began his twenty-five-year reign in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in the ways of Asa his father and departed not from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. But the high places [of idolatry] were not taken away, for the people had not yet set their hearts on their fathers' God. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from first to last, they are written in the records of Jehu son of Hanani, which are in the Book of the Kings of Israel. After this, Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly. He joined him in building ships to go to Tarshish, building them in Ezion-geber. Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have joined Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy your works. So the ships were wrecked and unable to go to Tarshish. Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with [them] in the City of David. Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.