1And it came to pass after this, that the children of Mo’av, and the children of Amon, and with them some of the Amonim, came against Yehoshafat to battle. 2Then there came some that told Yehoshafat, saying, “There comes a great multitude against you from beyond the sea from Aram; and, behold, they are in Khatzetzon Tamar”, the same is Ein Gedi. 3And Yehoshafat feared, and set himself to seek unto יהוה ; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Yehudah. 4And Yehudah gathered themselves together, to seek help from יהוה ; even out of all the cities of Yehudah they came to seek יהוה . And5 Yehoshafat stood in the congregation of Yehudah and Yerushalayim, in Beit יהוה , before the new court; 6and he said, “O יהוה , the Elohim of our fathers, are not You alone Elohim in heaven? And are not You ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? And in Your hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. 7Did not You, O our Elohim, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Yisra’el, and gave it to the seed of Avraham Your friend forever? 8And they dwelt therein, and have built You a Mikdash therein for Your Name, saying, 9‘If evil comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before You, for Your Name is in this house, and cry unto You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10And now, behold, the children of Amon and Mo’av and mount Se’ir, whom You would not let Yisra’el invade, when they came out of the land of Mitzrayim, but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not; 11behold, they render unto us, to come to cast us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit. 12O our Elohim, will You not execute judgment on them? For we have no might against this great multitude that comes against us; neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon You.” 13And all Yehudah stood before יהוה , with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14Then upon Yakhazi’el Ben Zekhar-Yah, Ben Bena-Yah, Ben Ye’iyel, Ben Matan-Yah, HaLevi, of the sons of Asaf, came the Ru’akh of יהוה in the midst of the congregation; 15and he said, “Hearken, all Yehudah, and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim, and you, Melekh Yehoshafat: thus says יהוה unto you, ‘Fear not, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but Elohim’s. 16Tomorrow, go down against them; behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and you shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Yeru’el. 17You shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand still, and see the Salvation of יהוה with you, O Yehudah and Yerushalayim; fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them; for יהוה is with you’.” 18And Yehoshafat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Yehudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim fell down before יהוה , worshipping יהוה . And19 the Levi’im, of the children of the Kehati and of the children of the Korkhim, stood up to praise יהוה Elohei Yisra’el with an exceedingly loud voice. 20And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Teko’a; and as they went forth, Yehoshafat stood and said, “Hear me, O Yehudah, and you inhabitants of Yerushalayim; trust in יהוה your Elohim, so shall you be established; trust His Nevi’im, so shall you prosper.” 21And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto יהוה , and praise in the beauty of kodesh, as they went out before the army, and say, “Give thanks unto יהוה , for His compassion endures forever.” 22And when they began to sing and to praise, יהוה set liers-in-wait against the children of Amon, Mo’av, and mount Se’ir, that were come against Yehudah; and they were smitten. 23For the children of Amon and Mo’av stood up against the inhabitants of mount Se’ir, utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Se’ir, every one helped to destroy another. 24And when Yehudah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked upon the multitude; and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none that escaped. 25And when Yehoshafat and his people came to take the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches and dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days in taking the spoil, it was so much. 26And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the valley of B’rakha; for there they blessed יהוה ; therefore the name of that place was called the valley of B’rakha, unto this day. 27Then they returned, every man of Yehudah and Yerushalayim, and Yehoshafat in the forefront of them, to go back to Yerushalayim with joy; for יהוה had made them to rejoice over their enemies. 28And they came to Yerushalayim with nevalim and kinorot and trumpets unto Beit יהוה . And29 a terror from Elohim was on all the kingdoms of the countries, when they heard that יהוה fought against the enemies of Yisra’el. 30So the realm of Yehoshafat was quiet; for his Elohim gave him rest round about.
31And Yehoshafat reigned over Yehudah; he was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Yerushalayim; and his mother’s name was Azuvah the daughter of Shilkhi. 32And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of יהוה . But33 the high places were not taken away; neither as yet had the people set their hearts unto the Elohim of their fathers. 34Now the rest of the acts of Yehoshafat, first and last, behold, they are written in the words of Yehu Ben Khanani, which is inserted in the book of the Melakhim of Yisra’el. 35And after this did Yehoshafat Melekh Yehudah join himself with Akhaz-Yahu king of Yisra’el; the same did very wickedly; 36and he joined him with himself to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Etzyon Gever. 37Then Eli’ezer Ben Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Yehoshafat, saying, “Because you have joined yourself with Akhaz-Yahu, יהוה has made a breach in your works.” And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
אוַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי כֵן בָּאוּ בְנֵי מוֹאָב וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן וְעִמָּהֶם מֵהָעַמּוֹנִים עַל יְהוֹשָׁפָט לַמִּלְחָמָה. בוַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּגִּידוּ לִיהוֹשָׁפָט לֵאמֹר בָּא עָלֶיךָ הָמוֹן רָב מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם מֵאֲרָם; וְהִנָּם בְּחַצְצוֹן תָּמָר הִיא עֵין גֶּדִי. גוַיִּרָא וַיִּתֵּן יְהוֹשָׁפָט אֶת פָּנָיו לִדְרוֹשׁ לַיהוה ; וַיִּקְרָא צוֹם עַל כָּל יְהוּדָה. דוַיִּקָּבְצוּ יְהוּדָה לְבַקֵּשׁ מֵיהוה; גַּם מִכָּל עָרֵי יְהוּדָה בָּאוּ לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת יהוה . הוַיַּעֲמֹד יְהוֹשָׁפָט בִּקְהַל יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם בְּבֵית יהוה : לִפְנֵי הֶחָצֵר הַחֲדָשָׁה. ווַיֹּאמַר יהוה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ הֲלֹא אַתָּה הוּא אֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם וְאַתָּה מוֹשֵׁל בְּכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הַגּוֹיִם; וּבְיָדְךָ כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה וְאֵין עִמְּךָ לְהִתְיַצֵּב. זהֲלֹא אַתָּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ הוֹרַשְׁתָּ אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת מִלִּפְנֵי עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַתִּתְּנָהּ לְזֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אֹהַבְךָ לְעוֹלָם. חוַיֵּשְׁבוּ בָהּ; וַיִּבְנוּ לְךָ בָּהּ מִקְדָּשׁ לְשִׁמְךָ לֵאמֹר, טאִם תָּבוֹא עָלֵינוּ רָעָה חֶרֶב שְׁפוֹט וְדֶבֶר וְרָעָב נַעַמְדָה לִפְנֵי הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה וּלְפָנֶיךָ כִּי שִׁמְךָ בַּבַּיִת הַזֶּה; וְנִזְעַק אֵלֶיךָ מִצָּרָתֵנוּ וְתִשְׁמַע וְתוֹשִׁיעַ. יוְעַתָּה הִנֵּה בְנֵי עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב וְהַר שֵׂעִיר אֲשֶׁר לֹא נָתַתָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָבוֹא בָהֶם בְּבֹאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: כִּי סָרוּ מֵעֲלֵיהֶם וְלֹא הִשְׁמִידוּם. יאוְהִנֵּה הֵם גֹּמְלִים עָלֵינוּ: לָבוֹא לְגָרְשֵׁנוּ מִיְּרֻשָּׁתְךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹרַשְׁתָּנוּ. יבאֱלֹהֵינוּ הֲלֹא תִשְׁפָּט בָּם כִּי אֵין בָּנוּ כֹּחַ לִפְנֵי הֶהָמוֹן הָרָב הַזֶּה הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ; וַאֲנַחְנוּ לֹא נֵדַע מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה כִּי עָלֶיךָ עֵינֵינוּ. יגוְכֹל יְהוּדָה עֹמְדִים לִפְנֵי יהוה ; גַּם טַפָּם נְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם. ידוְיַחֲזִיאֵל בֶּן זְכַרְיָהוּ בֶּן בְּנָיָה בֶּן יְעִיאֵל בֶּן מַתַּנְיָה הַלֵּוִי מִן בְּנֵי אָסָף: הָיְתָה עָלָיו רוּחַ יהוה בְּתוֹךְ הַקָּהָל. טווַיֹּאמֶר הַקְשִׁיבוּ כָל יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְהַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוֹשָׁפָט: כֹּה אָמַר יהוה לָכֶם אַתֶּם אַל תִּירְאוּ וְאַל תֵּחַתּוּ מִפְּנֵי הֶהָמוֹן הָרָב הַזֶּה כִּי לֹא לָכֶם הַמִּלְחָמָה כִּי לֵאלֹהִים. טזמָחָר רְדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם הִנָּם עֹלִים בְּמַעֲלֵה הַצִּיץ; וּמְצָאתֶם אֹתָם בְּסוֹף הַנַּחַל פְּנֵי מִדְבַּר יְרוּאֵל. יזלֹא לָכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם בָּזֹאת: הִתְיַצְּבוּ עִמְדוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת יְשׁוּעַת יהוה עִמָּכֶם יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם אַל תִּירְאוּ וְאַל תֵּחַתּוּ מָחָר צְאוּ לִפְנֵיהֶם וַיהוה עִמָּכֶם. יחוַיִּקֹּד יְהוֹשָׁפָט אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה; וְכָל יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם נָפְלוּ לִפְנֵי יהוה לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לַיהוה . יטוַיָּקֻמוּ הַלְוִיִּם מִן בְּנֵי הַקְּהָתִים וּמִן בְּנֵי הַקָּרְחִים לְהַלֵּל לַיהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל לְמָעְלָה. כוַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ בַבֹּקֶר וַיֵּצְאוּ לְמִדְבַּר תְּקוֹעַ; וּבְצֵאתָם עָמַד יְהוֹשָׁפָט וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמָעוּנִי יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם הַאֲמִינוּ בַּיהוה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְתֵאָמֵנוּ הַאֲמִינוּ בִנְבִיאָיו וְהַצְלִיחוּ. כאוַיִּוָּעַץ אֶל הָעָם וַיַּעֲמֵד מְשֹׁרְרִים לַיהוה וּמְהַלְלִים לְהַדְרַת קֹדֶשׁ בְּצֵאת לִפְנֵי הֶחָלוּץ וְאֹמְרִים הוֹדוּ לַיהוה כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ. כבוּבְעֵת הֵחֵלּוּ בְרִנָּה וּתְהִלָּה נָתַן יהוה מְאָרְבִים עַל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן מוֹאָב וְהַר שֵׂעִיר הַבָּאִים לִיהוּדָה וַיִּנָּגֵפוּ. כגוַיַּעַמְדוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב עַל יֹשְׁבֵי הַר שֵׂעִיר לְהַחֲרִים וּלְהַשְׁמִיד; וּכְכַלּוֹתָם בְּיוֹשְׁבֵי שֵׂעִיר עָזְרוּ אִישׁ בְּרֵעֵהוּ לְמַשְׁחִית. כדוִיהוּדָה בָּא עַל הַמִּצְפֶּה לַמִּדְבָּר; וַיִּפְנוּ אֶל הֶהָמוֹן וְהִנָּם פְּגָרִים נֹפְלִים אַרְצָה וְאֵין פְּלֵיטָה. כהוַיָּבֹא יְהוֹשָׁפָט וְעַמּוֹ לָבֹז אֶת שְׁלָלָם וַיִּמְצְאוּ בָהֶם לָרֹב וּרְכוּשׁ וּפְגָרִים וּכְלֵי חֲמֻדוֹת וַיְנַצְּלוּ לָהֶם לְאֵין מַשָּׂא; וַיִּהְיוּ יָמִים שְׁלוֹשָׁה בֹּזְזִים אֶת הַשָּׁלָל כִּי רַב הוּא. כווּבַיּוֹם הָרְבִעִי נִקְהֲלוּ לְעֵמֶק בְּרָכָה כִּי שָׁם בֵּרְכוּ אֶת יהוה ; עַל כֵּן קָרְאוּ אֶת שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא עֵמֶק בְּרָכָה עַד הַיּוֹם. כזוַיָּשֻׁבוּ כָּל אִישׁ יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם וִיהוֹשָׁפָט בְּרֹאשָׁם לָשׁוּב אֶל יְרוּשָׁלִַם בְּשִׂמְחָה: כִּי שִׂמְּחָם יהוה מֵאוֹיְבֵיהֶם. כחוַיָּבֹאוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם בִּנְבָלִים וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת וּבַחֲצֹצְרוֹת אֶל בֵּית יהוה . כטוַיְהִי פַּחַד אֱלֹהִים עַל כָּל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאֲרָצוֹת: בְּשָׁמְעָם כִּי נִלְחַם יהוה עִם אוֹיְבֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. לוַתִּשְׁקֹט מַלְכוּת יְהוֹשָׁפָט; וַיָּנַח לוֹ אֱלֹהָיו מִסָּבִיב.
לאוַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹשָׁפָט עַל יְהוּדָה בֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה בְּמָלְכוֹ וְעֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ עֲזוּבָה בַּת שִׁלְחִי. לבוַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אָבִיו אָסָא וְלֹא סָר מִמֶּנָּה: לַעֲשׂוֹת הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יהוה . לגאַךְ הַבָּמוֹת לֹא סָרוּ; וְעוֹד הָעָם לֹא הֵכִינוּ לְבָבָם לֵאלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיהֶם. לדוְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָט הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְהָאַחֲרֹנִים הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים בְּדִבְרֵי יֵהוּא בֶן חֲנָנִי אֲשֶׁר הֹעֲלָה עַל סֵפֶר מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. להוְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אֶתְחַבַּר יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה עִם אֲחַזְיָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל; הוּא הִרְשִׁיעַ לַעֲשׂוֹת. לווַיְחַבְּרֵהוּ עִמּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֳנִיּוֹת לָלֶכֶת תַּרְשִׁישׁ; וַיַּעֲשׂוּ אֳנִיּוֹת בְּעֶצְיוֹן גָּבֶר. לזוַיִּתְנַבֵּא אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן דֹּדָוָהוּ מִמָּרֵשָׁה עַל יְהוֹשָׁפָט לֵאמֹר: כְּהִתְחַבֶּרְךָ עִם אֲחַזְיָהוּ פָּרַץ יהוה אֶת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וַיִּשָּׁבְרוּ אֳנִיּוֹת וְלֹא עָצְרוּ לָלֶכֶת אֶל תַּרְשִׁישׁ.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 