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JULY 12
good things are found in you, in that you have drove out the inhabitants of this land before
removed the wooden images from the land, Your people Israel, and gave it to the descen-
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and have prepared your heart to seek God.” dants of Abraham Your friend forever? And they
4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it
went out again among the people from for Your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon
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Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—
brought them back to the LORD God of their fa- we will stand before this temple and in Your
thers. Then he set judges in the land through- presence (for Your name is in this temple), and
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out all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, cry out to You in our affliction, and You will
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6 and said to the judges, “Take heed to what hear and save.’ And now, here are the people
you are doing, for you do not judge for man of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You
but for the LORD, who is with you in the judg- would not let Israel invade when they came out
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ment. Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them
be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no and did not destroy them— here they are,
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iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of
nor taking of bribes.” Your possession which You have given us to
8 Moreover in Jerusalem, for the judgment of inherit. O our God, will You not judge them?
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the LORD and for controversies, Jehoshaphat For we have no power against this great mul-
appointed some of the Levites and priests, titude that is coming against us; nor do we
and some of the chief fathers of Israel, when know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
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they returned to Jerusalem. And he com- 13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their
manded them, saying, “Thus you shall act in wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
the fear of the LORD, faithfully and with a loyal 14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon
heart: Whatever case comes to you from your Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of
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brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah,
bloodshed or offenses against law or com- a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of
mandment, against statutes or ordinances, the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all you of
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you shall warn them, lest they trespass Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
against the LORD and wrath come upon you you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to
and your brethren. Do this, and you will not you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because
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be guilty. And take notice: Amariah the chief of this great multitude, for the battle is not
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priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; yours, but God’s. Tomorrow go down against
and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of them. They will surely come up by the Ascent
the house of Judah, for all the king’s matters; of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the
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also the Levites will be officials before you. brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You
Behave courageously, and the LORD will be will not need to fight in this battle. Position
with the good.” yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of
It happened after this that the people the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jeru-
20 of Moab with the people of Ammon, salem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow
and others with them besides the Ammonites, go out against them, for the LORD is with you.”
came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his
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some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A face to the ground, and all Judah and the
great multitude is coming against you from inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the
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beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in LORD, worshiping the LORD. Then the Levites
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Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi). And of the children of the Kohathites and of the
Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek children of the Korahites stood up to praise the
the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help 20 So they rose early in the morning and went
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from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they
they came to seek the LORD. went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusa-
Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the lem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you
LORD, before the new court, and said: “O shall be established; believe His prophets, and
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LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in you shall prosper.” And when he had con-
heaven, and do You not rule over all the king- sulted with the people, he appointed those
doms of the nations, and in Your hand is there who should sing to the LORD, and who should
not power and might, so that no one is able to praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out
withstand You? Are You not our God, who before the army and were saying:
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