One Year Bible.

War against Jehoshaphat

¹After this, the Moabites and Ammonites, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. ²Then some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the Sea; they are already in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, En-gedi).

³Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah. ⁴So the people of Judah gathered to seek the LORD, and indeed, they came from all the cities of Judah to seek Him.

Jehoshaphat’s Prayer

⁵Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD in front of the new courtyard ⁶and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You.

⁷Our God, did You not drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham Your friend? ⁸They have lived in the land and have built in it a sanctuary for Your Name, saying, ⁹‘If disaster comes upon us— whether sword or judgment, plague or famine— we will stand before this temple and before You, for Your Name is in this temple. We will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us.’

¹⁰And now, here are the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt. So Israel turned away from them and did not destroy them. ¹¹See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession that You gave us as an inheritance.

¹²Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this vast army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

¹³Meanwhile all the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, were standing before the LORD.

The Prophecy of Jahaziel

¹⁴Then 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 from Asaph’s descendants, as he stood in the midst of the assembly. ¹⁵And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God. ¹⁶Tomorrow you are to march down against them. You will see them coming up the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley facing the Wilderness of Jeruel. ¹⁷You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’”

¹⁸Then Jehoshaphat bowed facedown, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down before the LORD to worship Him. ¹⁹And the Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, shouting in a very loud voice.

The Enemies Destroy Themselves

²⁰Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”

²¹Then Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to the LORD and praise the splendor of His holiness. As they went out before the army, they were singing:

“Give thanks to the LORD,

for His loving devotion endures forever.”

²²The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. ²³The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

²⁴When the men of Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked for the vast army, but there were only corpses lying on the ground; no one had escaped. ²⁵Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables — more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.

The Joyful Return

²⁶On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they blessed the LORD. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Beracah to this day.

²⁷Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at their head, returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies. ²⁸So they entered Jerusalem and went into the house of the LORD with harps, lyres, and trumpets.

²⁹And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. ³⁰Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

Summary of Jehoshaphat’s Reign

³¹So Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

³²And Jehoshaphat walked in the way of his father Asa and did not turn away from it; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.

³³The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers.

³⁴As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Chronicles of Jehu son of Hanani, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel.

Jehoshaphat’s Fleet Is Wrecked

³⁵Later, Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah king of Israel, who acted wickedly. ³⁶They agreed to make ships to go to Tarshish, and these were built in Ezion-geber.

³⁷Then Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works.”

So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Tarshish.

Qualifications for Overseers

¹This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. ²An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.

⁴An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity. ⁵For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God? ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil. ⁷Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.

Qualifications for Deacons

⁸Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued or given to much wine or greedy for money. ⁹They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰Additionally, they must first be tested. Then, if they are above reproach, let them serve as deacons.

¹¹In the same way, the women must be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in all things.

¹²A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, a good manager of his children and of his own household. ¹³For those who have served well as deacons acquire for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Godliness

¹⁴Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these things ¹⁵in case I am delayed, so that you will know how each one must conduct himself in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

¹⁶By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great:

He appeared in the flesh,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was proclaimed among the nations,

was believed in throughout the world,

was taken up in glory.

A Greeting from the Elder

¹The elder,

To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth — and not I alone, but also all who know the truth — ²because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

³Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, will be with us in truth and love.

Walking in the Truth

⁴I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father has commanded us. ⁵And now I urge you, dear lady — not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning — that we love one another. ⁶And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.

Beware of Deceivers

⁷For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded. ⁹Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him. ¹¹Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.

Conclusion

¹²I have many things to write to you, but I would prefer not to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come and speak with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

¹³The children of your elect sister send you greetings.