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1 And it happened after this the sons of Moab, and the sons of Ammon came in, and with them others besides the Ammonites, to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2 And they came in and spoke to Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude has come against you from beyond the sea on this side of Syria. And behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar, which is En-gedi.
3 And Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek Jehovah, and called for a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves to ask of Jehovah. Even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek Jehovah.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Jehovah, before the new court,
6 and said, O Jehovah, the God of our Fathers, are You not God in Heaven? And do You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? And is there power and might in Your hand, so that none is able to withstand You?
7 Are You not our God? Did You not drive out the people of this land before Israel, and give it to the seed of Your friend Abraham forever?
8 And they lived in it. And they have built You a temple in it for Your name, saying,
9 If evil comes on us, whether the sword, judgment, or plague, or famine, and we stand before this house and in Your presence (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our affliction, then You will hear and help.
10 And now, behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them,
11 behold, they reward us by coming to cast us out of Your possession, which You have given us to inherit.
12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great company which comes against us. Nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.
13 And all Judah stood before Jehovah with their little ones, their wives, and their sons.
14 And the Spirit of Jehovah came on Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the congregation.
15 And he said, Listen, all Judah, and you people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! So says Jehovah to you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
16 Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz. And you shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You shall not fight in this battle. Set yourselves and stand, and see the salvation of Jehovah with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for Jehovah will be with you.
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his face to the ground. And all Judah and the people of Jerusalem fell before Jehovah, worshiping Jehovah.
19 And the Levites, of the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise Jehovah, the God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you people of Jerusalem. Believe in Jehovah your God, and so you shall be established. Believe His prophets, and so you shall be blessed.
21 And he consulted with the people, and he appointed singers to Jehovah and praisers to praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise Jehovah, for His mercy endures forever.
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, Jehovah set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, who had come against Judah. And they were beaten.
23 For the sons of Ammon and Moab stood up against the people of mount Seir to completely kill and destroy. And when they had made an end of the people of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another.
24 And when Judah came to the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked at the multitude. And behold! They were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
25 And Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their plunder, they found among them in abundance both riches and precious jewels in great number with the dead bodies, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away. And they were three days in gathering of the plunder, it was so much.
26 And on the fourth day they gathered themselves in the Valley of Blessing. For there they blessed Jehovah. And the name of the same place was called the Valley of Blessing until this day.
27 And they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, and Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy. For Jehovah had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
28 And they came into Jerusalem with harps and with lyres, and with trumpets to the house of Jehovah.
29 And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that Jehovah fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet. For his God gave him rest round about.
31 And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah, thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the way of Asa his father, and did not depart from it, doing the right in the sight of Jehovah.
33 But, the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts to the God of their fathers.
34 And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which were taken up in the Book of the Kings of Israel.
35 And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel; he did wickedly to do so.
36 And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish. And they made the ships in Ezion-geber.
37 And Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah, Jehovah has broken your works. And the ships were broken so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
The Modern King James Version (MKJV)
The Modern King James Version (MKJV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that aims to preserve the majesty and accuracy of the original King James Version (KJV) while updating its language for modern readers. Developed by Jay P. Green Sr. and first published in 1990, the MKJV seeks to maintain the literary beauty and doctrinal reliability of the KJV, making only necessary adjustments to archaic terms and phrases to enhance readability. This careful balance allows the MKJV to retain the classic feel of the KJV while making it more accessible to today’s audience.
One of the standout features of the MKJV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or word-for-word translation. The translators have meticulously preserved the structure and vocabulary of the KJV, only updating words and phrases that have become outdated or whose meanings have shifted over time. This approach ensures that the MKJV remains faithful to the original texts and maintains the theological and literary integrity of the KJV. By preserving the cadence and phrasing of the original, the MKJV offers a reading experience that is both familiar and refreshed for modern readers.
The MKJV also pays special attention to the textual basis of the translation. Like the KJV, it relies on the Textus Receptus for the New Testament and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament. This adherence to traditional source texts underscores the MKJV’s commitment to continuity with the historic Christian tradition. The translation is designed to serve both devotional and scholarly purposes, providing a text that is suitable for study, teaching, and public reading in a variety of settings.
Despite its strengths, the Modern King James Version has faced some criticism. Some scholars and readers argue that the translation could benefit from a more extensive revision to fully embrace contemporary language, suggesting that the MKJV’s adherence to the structure and style of the KJV may still pose challenges for modern readers. Others appreciate the balance it strikes but note that it occupies a niche space, appealing primarily to those who have a strong attachment to the KJV. Nonetheless, the MKJV remains a respected and valued translation for those seeking a modern update of the KJV that honors its rich heritage and timeless message.