2 Paralipomenon 20 — Church Fathers

Douay-Rheims

1 Paralipomenon

Chapter 19

Chapter 21

1 Esdras

Chapter 20

2 Paralipomenon 20:1-37

WARS AND VICTORIES OF JEHOSHAPHAT UNTIL HIS DEATH

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1 After these things were the children of Moab gathered together, and the children of Ammon, & with them of the Ammonites, to fight against Josaphat. 1 note

2 And there came messengers, and told Josaphat, saying: There cometh against thee a great multitude from those places, which are beyond the sea, & out of Syria, & behold they stay in Asasonthamar, which is Engaddi. 1 note

3 And Josaphat being frighted with fear, betook him wholly to beseech our Lord, and he proclaimed a fast to all Juda. 1 note

4 And Judas was gathered together to pray to our Lord: yea and all came out of their cities to beseech him. 1 note

5 And when Josaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Juda, and Jerusalem in the house of our Lord before the new court, 1 note

6 he said: Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and rulest over all the Kingdoms of Nations, in thy hand is strength and might, neither can any man resist thee. 1 note

7 Didst not thou our God kill all the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever? 1 note

8 And they dwelt in it, and built in it a Sanctuary to thy name, saying: 1 note

9 If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, pestilence, and famine, we will stand before this house in thy sight, wherein thy name is invocated: and we will cry to thee in our tribulations, and thou shalt hear, and save us. 1 note

10 Now therefore behold the children of Ammon, and mount Seir, by whom thou didst not grant Israel to pass, when they came out of Ægypt, but they declined from them, and slew them not: 1 note

11 do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession, which thou hast delivered to us. 1 note

12 Our God, wilt not thou therefore judge them? In us indeed there is not so great strength, that we can resist this multitude, which cometh violently upon us. But whereas we are ignorant what we ought to do, this only we have left, that we direct our eyes to thee. 1 note

13 And all Juda stood before our Lord with their little ones, and wives, and their children. 1 note

14 And there was Jahaziel the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite of the children of Asaph, upon whom the spirit of our Lord came in the midst of the multitude, 1 note

15 and he said: Attend ye all Juda, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: thus saith our Lord to you: Fear not, neither dread ye this multitude: for it is not your battle, but God's. 1 note

16 Tomorrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up by the steep named Sis, and you shall find them in the utmost part of the torrent, which is against the wilderness of Ieruel. 1 note

17 It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand confidently, & you shall see the help of our Lord over you, O Juda, and Jerusalem: fear not, neither dread ye: tomorrow you shall go out against them, & our Lord will be with you. 1 note

18 Josaphat therefore, and Juda, & all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell flat on the earth before our Lord & adored him. 1 note

19 Moreover the Levites of the children of Caath, & of the children of Core praised our Lord the God of Israel with a loud voice, on high. 1 note

20 And when they had risen early in the morning, they went forth by the desert of Thecua: and they being gone forth, Josaphat standing in the midst of them, said: Hear me ye men of Juda, & all the inhabiters of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, & you shall be secure: believe his Prophets, & all things shall fall our prosperous. 1 note

21 He gave counsel also to the people, & appointed the singing men of our Lord, that they should praise him in their companies, & should go before the host, & with agreeable voice should say: Confess to our Lord, because his mercy is for ever. 1 note

22 And when they began to sing praises, our Lord turned their embushments upon themselves, to wit, of the children of Ammon, & of Moab, & of mount Seir, who were gone forth to fight against Juda, & were strucken. 1 note

23 For the children of Ammon, & of Moab, rose together against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to kill & destroy them: & when they had in work achieved this, being turned also against themselves, they fell wounded one of another. 1 note

24 Moreover Juda when they were come to the watch place, that looketh to the desert, saw a far off all the country abroad full of dead bodies, and that none remained alive that could escape death. 1 note

25 Josaphat therefore came, & all the people with him to take away the spoils of the dead, & they found among the dead bodies, diverse stuff, garments also, & most precious vessels: & they spoiled it, so that they could not carry all things, nor in three days take away the spoils for the greatness of the prey. 1 note

26 And in the fourth day they were assembled in the Vale of blessing: for because there they had blessed our Lord, they called that place the Vale of blessing until this present day. 1 note

27 And every man of Juda returned, & the inhabitants of Jerusalem, & Josaphat before them into Jerusalem with great joy, because our Lord had given them joy of their enemies. 1 note

28 And they entered into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets into the house of our Lord. 1 note

29 And the dread of our Lord fell upon all the Kingdoms of the lands when they heard that our Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 1 note

30 And the Kingdom of Josaphat was quiet, and God gave him peace round about. 1 note

31 Josaphat therefore reigned over Juda, and he was five and thirty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned five & twenty years in Jerusalem: & the name of his mother was Azuba the daughter of Selahi. 1 note

32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, neither declined he from it, doing the things that were pleasing before our Lord. 1 note

33 But yet the excelses he took not away, & as yet the people had not directed their heart to our Lord the God of their fathers. 1 note

34 But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, the first & the last are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani which he disposed into the Books of the kings of Israel. 1 note

35 After these things Josaphat the king of Juda entered friendship with Ochozias the king of Israel, whose works were most impious. 1 note

36 And he was partaker to make ships, which should go into Tharsis: and they made a navy in Asiongaber. 1 note

37 And Eliezer the son of Dodau of Maresa prophesied to Josaphat, saying: Because thou hast had a league with Ochozias, our Lord hath strucken thy works, & the ships are broken, neither could they go into Tharsis. 1 note

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2 Paralipomenon 20:1-37 1 entry

WARS AND VICTORIES OF JEHOSHAPHAT UNTIL HIS DEATH

THE JUDGMENT OF THE LORD.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Just read the books of Paralipomenon and this is what you will find written in the second book: And the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who border on the Ethiopians. And they came up to the land of Judah and wasted it, and they carried away all substance that was found in the king’s house. Here we have a clear indication of how God stirs up enemies to lay waste those countries that he judges to be deserving of such punishment. And yet, was it not of their own will that the Philistines and Arabs came to lay waste the country of Judah? Or did they so come of their own will that the Scripture lies where it tells us that the Lord stirred up their spirit to do so? On the contrary. Both statements are true because they did come of their own will and God did stir up their spirit. The same thing could also be expressed by saying that God both stirred up their spirit and that they came nevertheless of their own will. For the Almighty, who cannot possibly will anything unjust, is able to set in motion even the inclinations of their will in human hearts in order to accomplish through these people whatever he wishes to achieve through their agency.

On Grace and Free Will 21.42