After this the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them of the Ammonites, were gathered together to fight against Josaphat.

Post hæc congregati sunt filii Moab et filii Ammon, et cum eis de Ammonitis, ad Josaphat, ut pugnarent contra eum.

After this the Moabites and the Ammonites, with certain tribesmen that lived in the Ammonite country, mustered their forces to levy war on Josaphat;

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

Veneruntque nuntii, et indicaverunt Josaphat, dicentes: Venit contra te multitudo magna de his locis quæ trans mare sunt, et de Syria: et ecce consistunt in Asasonthamar, quæ est Engaddi.

and messengers came to tell him that a great army was marching against him, from the country beyond the Dead Sea and from Syria; they were encamped even now at Asasonthamar (which is the same as Engaddi).

And Josaphat being seized with fear betook himself wholly to pray to the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Juda.

Josaphat autem timore perterritus, totum se contulit ad rogandum Dominum, et prædicavit jejunium universo Juda.

Most fervently, in his great dismay, Josaphat betook himself to prayer, proclaiming a fast for the whole of Juda;

And Juda gathered themselves together to pray to the Lord: and all came out of their cities to make supplication to him.

Congregatusque est Judas ad deprecandum Dominum: sed et omnes de urbibus suis venerunt ad obsecrandum eum.

whereupon all Juda gathered to offer the Lord their plea; from every city they assembled to prefer their common request.

And Josaphat stood in the midst of the assembly of Juda, and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord before the new court,

Cumque stetisset Josaphat in medio cœtu Juda et Jerusalem, in domo Domini ante atrium novum,

There, then, Josaphat stood in the Lord’s house, at the entrance to the New Court, with all Jerusalem and Juda assembled round him.

And said: O Lord God of our fathers, thou art God in heaven, and rulest over all the kingdoms and nations, in thy hand is strength and power, and no one can resist thee.

ait: Domine Deus patrum nostrorum, tu es Deus in cælo, et dominaris cunctis regnis gentium: in manu tua est fortitudo et potentia, nec quisquam tibi potest resistere.

Lord God of our fathers, he prayed, from thy throne in heaven thou rulest all earthly kingdoms, holding a sceptre of such majesty that none may resist thee.

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?

Nonne tu, Deus noster, interfecisti omnes habitatores terræ hujus coram populo tuo Israël, et dedisti eam semini Abraham amici tui in sempiternum?

Thou it was didst overthrow all the dwellers in this land to make room for thy people Israel; thy irrevocable gift it was to the sons of Abraham, thy friend.

And they dwelt in it, and built in it a sanctuary to thy name, saying:

Habitaveruntque in ea, et exstruxerunt in illa sanctuarium nomini tuo, dicentes:

Here, then, they dwelt, and built a temple in thy honour.

If evils fall upon us, the sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand in thy presence before this house, in which thy name is called upon: and we will cry to thee in our afflictions, and thou wilt hear, and save us.

Si irruerint super nos mala, gladius judicii, pestilentia, et fames, stabimus coram domo hac in conspectu tuo, in qua invocatum est nomen tuum: et clamabimus ad te in tribulationibus nostris, et exaudies, salvosque facies.

And if we come into thy presence, they said, here in the shrine of thy own name, crying out to thee in time of need, when disaster falls upon us, pestilence, or famine, or the avenging sword, then do thou hear, and save.

Now therefore behold the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and mount Seir, through whose lands thou didst not allow Israel to pass, when they came out of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and slew them not,

Nunc igitur, ecce filii Ammon, et Moab, et mons Seir, per quos non concessisti Israël ut transirent quando egrediebantur de Ægypto, sed declinaverunt ab eis, et non interfecerunt illos,

See now what need is here! We are attacked by Ammon, Moab and Edom, the very nations whose frontiers thou didst forbid Israel to cross, after the march out of Egypt. Our fathers turned aside, leaving them unharmed,

Do the contrary, and endeavour to cast us out of the possession which thou hast delivered to us.

e contrario agunt, et nituntur ejicere nos de possessione quam tradidisti nobis.

and this is our reward; we are to be driven out from the home thou hast given us.

O our God, wilt thou not then judge them? as for us we have not strength enough, to be able to resist this multitude, which cometh violently upon us. But as we know not what to do, we can only turn our eyes to thee.

Deus noster, ergo non judicabis eos? in nobis quidem non est tanta fortitudo, ut possimus huic multitudini resistere, quæ irruit super nos. Sed cum ignoremus quid agere debeamus, hoc solum habemus residui, ut oculos nostros dirigamus ad te.

It is for thee, our God, to grant redress; we have no strength of our own to meet such an onslaught as this; despairing hearts, that know not where else to turn, we look to thee!

And all Juda stood before the Lord with their little ones, and their wives, and their children.

Omnis vero Juda stabat coram Domino cum parvulis, et uxoribus, et liberis suis.

All Juda stood about him, there in the Lord’s presence, even mothers with babes in their arms, children at their side.

And Jahaziel the son of Zacharias, the son of Banaias, the son of Jehiel, the son of Mathanias, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, was there, upon whom the spirit of the Lord came in the midst of the multitude,

Erat autem Jahaziel filius Zachariæ filii Banaiæ filii Jehiel filii Mathaniæ, Levites de filiis Asaph, super quem factus est spiritus Domini, in medio turbæ,

And now, upon one man in all that throng, the Lord’s spirit fell; it was a Levite of Asaph’s clan, Jahaziel, come down from Mathanias through Zacharias, Banaias and Jehiel.

And he said: Attend ye, all Juda, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, and thou king Josaphat: Thus saith the Lord to you: Fear ye not, and be not dismayed at this multitude: for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

et ait: Attendite, omnis Juda, et qui habitatis Jerusalem, et tu, rex Josaphat: hæc dicit Dominus vobis: Nolite timere, nec paveatis hanc multitudinem: non est enim vestra pugna, sed Dei.

Listen, Juda, he cried, listen, citizens of Jerusalem, listen, king Josaphat, to a message from the Lord. Put an end to your fears, do not be dismayed at the sight of this great army; it is God’s battle, not yours.

To morrow you shall go down against them: for they will come up by the ascent named Sis, and you shall find them at the head of the torrent, which is over against the wilderness of Jeruel.

Cras descendetis contra eos: ascensuri enim sunt per clivum nomine Sis, et invenietis illos in summitate torrentis qui est contra solitudinem Jeruel.

Go down to-morrow and offer them battle, as they climb up the slope of Sis; it is there you will find them, at the head of the ravine which faces the Jeruel desert.

It shall not be you that shall fight, but only stand with confidence, and you shall see the help of the Lord over you, O Juda, and Jerusalem: fear ye not, nor be you dismayed: to morrow you shall go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.

Non eritis vos qui dimicabitis, sed tantummodo confidenter state, et videbitis auxilium Domini super vos, o Juda et Jerusalem: nolite timere, nec paveatis: cras egrediemini contra eos, et Dominus erit vobiscum.

Not yours the battle, you have but to stand firm, Juda and Jerusalem, and watch the Lord coming to your aid. No flinching, no faint hearts; go down to-morrow, and the Lord will be at your side.

Then Josaphat, and Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell flat on the ground before the Lord, and adored him.

Josaphat ergo, et Juda, et omnes habitatores Jerusalem ceciderunt proni in terram coram Domino, et adoraverunt eum.

At this, Josaphat and Juda and all the citizens of Jerusalem fell down face to earth, there in the Lord’s presence;

And the Levites of the sons of Caath, and of the sons of Core praised the Lord the God of Israel with a loud voice, on high.

Porro Levitæ de filiis Caath et de filiis Core laudabant Dominum Deum Israël voce magna in excelsum.

and the Levites, sons of Caath and Core, cried aloud till the heavens rang, in praise of the Lord God of Israel.

And they rose early in the morning, and went out through the desert of Thecua: and as they were marching, Josaphat standing in the midst of them, said: Hear me, ye men of Juda, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be secure: believe his prophets, and all things shall succeed well.

Cumque mane surrexissent, egressi sunt per desertum Thecue: profectisque eis, stans Josaphat in medio eorum, dixit: Audite me, viri Juda, et omnes habitatores Jerusalem: credite in Domino Deo vestro, et securi eritis: credite prophetis ejus, et cuncta evenient prospera.

Dawn came, and they began their march across the desert of Thecue; Josaphat, as they set out, came forward to speak. Listen to me, he said, men of Juda; listen, citizens of Jerusalem. Trust in the Lord your God, and you have nothing to fear; trust his prophets, and all shall go well with you.

And he gave counsel to the people, and appointed the singing men of the Lord, to praise him by their companies, and to go before the army, and with one voice to say: Give glory to the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever.

Deditque consilium populo, et statuit cantores Domini ut laudarent eum in turmis suis, et antecederent exercitum, ac voce consona dicerent: Confitemini Domino quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.

Thus he encouraged them, and would have the Lord’s minstrels praise him in chorus, marching before the army and singing, Praise the Lord, the Lord is gracious; his mercy endures for ever.

And when they began to sing praises, the Lord turned their ambushments upon themselves, that is to say, of the children of Ammon, and of Moab, and of mount Seir, who were come out to fight against Juda, and they were slain.

Cumque cœpissent laudes canere, vertit Dominus insidias eorum in semetipsos, filiorum scilicet Ammon, et Moab, et montis Seir, qui egressi fuerant ut pugnarent contra Judam: et percussi sunt.

As the chant rose, the Lord turned the stealthy approach of Juda’s enemies, Ammon and Moab and Edom, to their own discomfiture.

For the children of Ammon, and of Moab, rose up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to kill and destroy them: and when they had made an end of them, they turned also against one another, and destroyed one another.

Namque filii Ammon et Moab consurrexerunt adversum habitatores montis Seir, ut interficerent et delerent eos: cumque hoc opere perpetrassent, etiam in semetipsos versi, mutuis concidere vulneribus.

First Ammon and Moab fell on the Edomites, cutting them down till there was nothing left of them; and when this was done, the two armies turned against one another, till their feud brought destruction on both.

And when Juda came to the watch tower, that looketh toward the desert, they saw afar off all the country, for a great space, full of dead bodies, and that no one was left that could escape death.

Porro Juda, cum venisset ad speculam quæ respicit solitudinem, vidit procul omnem late regionem plenam cadaveribus, nec superesse quemquam qui necem potuisset evadere.

And when the men of Juda reached the vantage-ground that overlooks the desert, nothing was to be seen, look where they would, but the corpses of the slain; not a man was left there alive.

Then Josaphat came, and all the people with him to take away the spoils of the dead, and they found among the dead bodies, stuff of various kinds, and garments, and most precious vessels: and they took them for themselves, insomuch that they could not carry all, nor in three days take away the spoils, the booty was so great.

Venit ergo Josaphat, et omnis populus cum eo, ad detrahenda spolia mortuorum: inveneruntque inter cadavera variam supellectilem, vestes quoque, et vasa pretiosissima, et diripuerunt ita ut omnia portare non possent, nec per tres dies spolia auferre præ prædæ magnitudine.

So Josaphat and his men went down to strip them of their spoil, and found there, among the dead, such plunder of harness and clothes and precious ornaments as they could not carry with them; it was three days before all the booty was taken away.

And on the fourth day they were assembled in the valley of Blessing: for there they blessed the Lord, and therefore they called that place the valley of Blessing until this day.

Die autem quarto congregati sunt in Valle benedictionis: etenim quoniam ibi benedixerant Domino, vocaverunt locum illum Vallis benedictionis usque in præsentem diem.

Then, on the fourth day, they mustered in the Valley of Blessing, which still bears the name they gave it when they returned thanks to the Lord there;

And every man of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem returned, and Josaphat at their head, into Jerusalem with great joy, because the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies.

Reversusque est omnis vir Juda, et habitatores Jerusalem, et Josaphat ante eos, in Jerusalem cum lætitia magna, eo quod dedisset eis Dominus gaudium de inimicis suis.

and so went back to Jerusalem, men of Jerusalem and men of Juda alike, with Josaphat at their head, full of joy at the triumph the Lord had given them over their enemies;

And they came into Jerusalem with psalteries, and harps, and trumpets into the house of the Lord.

Ingressique sunt in Jerusalem cum psalteriis, et citharis, et tubis in domum Domini.

into Jerusalem they came, and into the Lord’s house, with harp and zither and trumpets playing.

And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.

Irruit autem pavor Domini super universa regna terrarum cum audissent quod pugnasset Dominus contra inimicos Israël.

So the Lord struck terror into the hearts of the heathen, with the news that he himself had fought against Israel’s enemies;

And the kingdom of Josaphat was quiet, and God gave him peace round about.

Quievitque regnum Josaphat, et præbuit ei Deus pacem per circuitum.

Josaphat reigned in security, and on every frontier God gave him peace.

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

Regnavit igitur Josaphat super Judam, et erat triginta quinque annorum cum regnare cœpisset: viginti autem et quinque annis regnavit in Jerusalem, et nomen matris ejus Azuba filia Selahi.

This reign of his over Juda began when he was thirty-five years old, and for twenty-five years it lasted, there in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azuba, daughter of Selahi.

And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and departed not from it, doing the things that were pleasing before the Lord.

Et ambulavit in via patris suis Asa, nec declinavit ab ea, faciens quæ placita erant coram Domino.

He followed the example of his father Asa, and never swerved aside from the Lord’s will;

But yet he took not away the high places, and the people had not yet turned their heart to the Lord the God of their fathers.

Verumtamen excelsa non abstulit, et adhuc populus non direxerat cor suum ad Dominum Deum patrum suorum.

though indeed he did not abolish the hill-shrines; not yet had his people turned their whole minds to worshipping the Lord, the God of their fathers.

But the rest of the acts of Josaphat, first and last, are written in the words of Jehu the son of Hanani, which he digested into the books of the kings of Israel.

Reliqua autem gestorum Josaphat priorum et novissimorum scripta sunt in verbis Jehu filii Hanani, quæ digessit in libros regum Israël.

What else Josaphat did, first and last, is told in the record preserved by Jehu son of Hanani, among the Annals of the kings of Israel.

After these things Josaphat king of Juda made friendship with Ochozias king of Israel, whose works were very wicked.

Post hæc iniit amicitias Josaphat rex Juda cum Ochozia rege Israël, cujus opera fuerunt impiissima.

At the end of his life, Josaphat made an alliance between Juda and Israel, under king Ochozias, that reigned very evilly.

And he was partner with him in making ships, to go to Tharsis: and they made the ships in Asiongaber.

Et particeps fuit ut facerent naves quæ irent in Tharsis: feceruntque classem in Asiongaber.

Together they would build a fleet that should sail for Tharsis; and build it they did, in Asiongaber;

And Eliezer the son of Dodau of Maresa prophesied to Josaphat, saying: Because thou hast made a league with Ochozias, the Lord hath destroyed thy works, and the ships are broken, and they could not go to Tharsis.

Prophetavit autem Eliezer filius Dodau de Maresa ad Josaphat, dicens: Quia habuisti fœdus cum Ochozia, percussit Dominus opera tua, contritæque sunt naves, nec potuerunt ire in Tharsis.

but Eliezer, son of Dodau from Maresa, prophesied to king Josaphat, The Lord has shattered those hopes of thine, because of thy alliance with Ochozias; and the ships were wrecked before ever they reached Tharsis.