Jehoshaphat’s Judges and Victory

When King Jehoshaphat had come back to Jerusalem from helping Ahab king of Israel in his war with Ben-hadad king of Syria, as we related earlier, the prophet Jehu met him and accused him of helping Ahab, a man both impious and wicked. He told him that God was displeased with him for doing so, but that he had rescued him from the enemy, sinner though he was, because of his own disposition, which was good. At this the king turned to thanksgiving and sacrifices to God. After that he promptly went all over the country he ruled and taught the people both the laws God had given them through Moses and the worship due to him. He also appointed judges in every city of his kingdom, and charged them to care about nothing so much, in judging the people, as doing justice: they were not to be moved by bribes, nor by the rank of men eminent for wealth or high birth, but to give justice equally to all, knowing that God is aware of every secret act of theirs. [a]

When he had instructed them himself in this way and gone over every city of the two tribes, he returned to Jerusalem. There too he appointed judges from the priests and the Levites and the leading men of the people, and urged them to pass all their sentences with care and justice. If any of the people of his country had disputes of great consequence, they were to send them from the other cities to these judges, who would be bound to give righteous sentences in such cases — and with all the more care, because it is right that sentences given in the city where the temple of God is, and where the king lives, should be given with great care and the utmost justice. He set over them Amariah the priest and Zebadiah, both of the tribe of Judah. And this was how the king ordered these affairs.

About the same time the Moabites and Ammonites made an expedition against Jehoshaphat, bringing with them a great body of Arabians, and pitched their camp at En-gedi, a city that lies by Lake Asphaltitis, about thirty-five miles from Jerusalem. In that place grows the best kind of palm tree, and the balsam. Jehoshaphat heard that the enemy had crossed the lake and broken into the country that belonged to his kingdom. At this news he was frightened, and called the people of Jerusalem to an assembly in the temple. Standing facing the temple itself, he called on God to give him power and strength to punish those who had made this expedition against them; for those who built this temple of his had prayed that he would protect that city and take vengeance on those who were so bold as to come against it. “For they have come to take from us the land you gave us as a possession.” [f]

When he had prayed this way, he burst into tears, and the whole people, with their wives and children, made their supplications too. Then a prophet named Jahaziel came into the middle of the assembly and cried out, telling both the people and the king that God had heard their prayers and promised to fight against their enemies. He also directed that the king should lead his forces out the next day, for he would find the enemy on the ascent between Jerusalem and En-gedi that is called The Eminence; and he was not to fight them, but only to stand still and see how God would fight against them. When the prophet had said this, both the king and the people fell on their faces, gave thanks to God and worshiped him; and the Levites went on singing hymns to God with their musical instruments.

As soon as it was day, and the king had come into the wilderness below the city of Tekoa, he told the people that they ought to believe what the prophet had said and not draw themselves up for battle, but set the priests with their trumpets and the Levites in front to give thanks to God, as one who had already delivered their country from its enemies. The people liked the king’s advice and did as he told them. So God caused terror and confusion to arise among the Ammonites, who took one another for enemies and killed one another, so that not one man of so great an army escaped. When Jehoshaphat looked over the valley where the enemy had camped and saw it full of dead men, he rejoiced at so astonishing an outcome as this help from God, who by his own power, without any effort of theirs, had given them the victory. He also gave his army leave to take the plunder of the enemy camp and to strip their dead; and so they did for three days together, until they were weary, so great was the number of the slain. On the fourth day all the people gathered in a certain hollow, or valley, and blessed God for his power and help; and from this the place was given the name the Valley of Blessing. [j]

When the king had brought his army back to Jerusalem, he gave himself to feasting and offering sacrifices, and this for many days. And indeed, when news of this destruction of their enemies reached the foreign nations, they were all greatly frightened, supposing that God would fight openly for him in the future. So from that time Jehoshaphat lived in great glory and splendor because of his righteousness and his piety toward God. He was also on friendly terms with Ahab’s son, who was king of Israel, and joined with him in building ships that were to sail to Pontus and the trading cities of Thrace. But he failed to make his profit, for the ships were wrecked because they were too large; and for this reason he took no further interest in shipping. This is the history of Jehoshaphat, king of Jerusalem. [k]