The Divided Kingdom

And the king of Israel goeth up, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, unto Ramoth-Gilead;

and the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, `And thou, put on thy garments.' And the king of Israel disguiseth himself, and they go into battle.

And the king of Aram hath commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he hath, saying, `Ye do not fight with small or with great, except with the king of Israel by himself.'

And it cometh to pass at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they have said, `The king of Israel he is,' and they turn round against him to fight, and Jehoshaphat crieth out, and Jehovah hath helped him, and God enticeth them from him,

yea, it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing that it hath not been the king of Israel--they turn back from after him.

And a man hath drawn with a bow, in his simplicity, and smiteth the king of Israel between the joinings and the coat of mail, and he saith to the charioteer, `Turn thy hand, and thou hast brought me out of the camp, for I have become sick.'

And the battle increaseth on that day, and the king of Israel hath been stayed up in the chariot over-against Aram till the evening, and he dieth at the time of the going in of the sun.

And Jehoshaphat king of Judah turneth back unto his house in peace to Jerusalem,

and go out unto his presence doth Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, and saith unto king Jehoshaphat, `To give help to the wicked, and to those hating Jehovah, dost thou love? and for this against thee is wrath from before Jehovah,

but good things have been found with thee, for thou hast put away the shrines out of the land, and hast prepared thy heart to seek God.'

And Jehoshaphat dwelleth in Jerusalem, and he turneth back and goeth out among the people from Beer-Sheba unto the hill-country of Ephraim, and bringeth them back unto Jehovah, God of their fathers.

And he establisheth judges in the land, in all the fenced cities of Judah, for every city,

and saith unto the judges, `See what ye are doing--for not for man do ye judge, but for Jehovah, who is with you in the matter of judgment;

and now, let fear of Jehovah be upon you, observe and do, for there is not with Jehovah our God perverseness, and acceptance of faces, and taking of a bribe.'

And also in Jerusalem hath Jehoshaphat appointed of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the heads of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of Jehovah, and for strife; and they turn back to Jerusalem,

and he layeth a charge upon them, saying, `Thus do ye do in the fear of Jehovah, in faithfulness, and with a perfect heart,

and any strife that cometh in unto you of your brethren who are dwelling in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and command, statutes, and judgments, then ye have warned them and they become not guilty before Jehovah, and wrath hath not been on you and on your brethren; thus do ye do, and ye are not guilty.

`And, lo, Amariah the head priest is over you for every matter of Jehovah, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the house of Judah, is for every matter of the king, and officers the Levites are before you; be strong and do, and Jehovah is with the good.'

And it cometh to pass after this, the sons of Moab have come in, and the sons of Ammon, and with them of the peoples, against Jehoshaphat to battle.

And they come in and declare to Jehoshaphat, saying, `Come against thee hath a great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram, and lo, they are in Hazezon-Tamar--it is En-Gedi.'

And Jehoshaphat feareth, and setteth his face to seek to Jehovah, and proclaimeth a fast over all Judah;

and Judah is gathered to inquire of Jehovah; also, from all the cities of Judah they have come in to seek Jehovah.

And Jehoshaphat standeth in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, at the front of the new court,

and saith, `O Jehovah, God of our fathers, art not Thou--God in the heavens? yea, Thou art ruling over all kingdoms of the nations, and in Thy hand is power and might, and there is none with Thee to station himself.

`Art not Thou our God? Thou hast dispossessed the inhabitants of this land from before Thy people Israel, and dost give it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend to the age,