1 After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of
the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came
and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching
against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at
Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.)
3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for
guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin
fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to
Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.
5 Jehoshaphat stood before the community of Judah and
Jerusalem in front of the new courtyard at the Temple of
the Lord. 6 He prayed, “O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone
are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of
the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against
you! 7 O our God, did you not drive out those who lived in this land
when your people Israel arrived? And did you not give this land
forever to the descendants of your friend Abraham? 8 Your people
settled here and built this Temple to honor your name. 9 They
said, ‘Whenever we are faced with any calamity such as
war, plague, or famine, we can come to stand in your presence
before this Temple where your name is honored. We can cry out
to you to save us, and you will hear us and rescue us.’
10 “And now see what the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount
Seir are doing. You would not let our ancestors invade those
nations when Israel left Egypt, so they went around them and did
not destroy them. 11 Now see how they reward us! For they have
come to throw us out of your land, which you gave us as an
inheritance. 12 O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless
against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not
know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”
13 As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little
ones, wives, and children, 14 the Spirit of the Lord came upon one
of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of
Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a
Levite who was a descendant of Asaph.
15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen,
King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid!
Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not
yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, march out against them. You will
find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the
valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 But you will not
even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch
the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and
Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them
tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”
18 Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground.
And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same,
worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath
and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very
20 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the
wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said,
“Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in
the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in
his prophets, and you will succeed.”
21 After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk
ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his
holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the Lord;
his faithful love endures forever!”
22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise,
the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to
start fighting among themselves.
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty
power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to
stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we [a] are not
fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers
and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this
dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able
to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you
will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt
of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes,
put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will
be fully prepared. [b] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield
of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [c] 17 Put on salvation as
your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert
and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city
officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden
rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown
into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t
escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and
clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing
hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly,
there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its
foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains
of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison
doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he
drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop!
Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down
trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and
asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved,
along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the
word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his
household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for
them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his
household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his
house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire
household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
