2 Chronicles 20
Open in the reader1After this, the children of From-the-Father and children of Kindred, together with some of the Kindred-People, came to make war against He-Who-Is-Has-Judged.
2Then some men came and told He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, “A vast army is coming against you from Highland, from beyond the Sea; they are already in Hazazon-of-Palms” (that is, Spring-of-the-Kid).
3He-Who-Is-Has-Judged was alarmed and set his face to seek He-Who-Is. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Praised.
4So the people of Praised gathered to seek He-Who-Is, and indeed, they came from all the cities of Praised to seek Him.
5Then He-Who-Is-Has-Judged stood in the assembly of Praised and Foundation-of-Peace in the house of He-Who-Is in front of the new courtyard
6and said, “O He-Who-Is, 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 Strives-with-God and give it forever to the descendants of Father-of-a-Multitude 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 Kindred, From-the-Father, and Mount Hairy, whom You did not let Strives-with-God invade when they came out of the land of Two-Straits. So Strives-with-God 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 Praised, with their wives and children and little ones, were standing before He-Who-Is.
14Then the Spirit of He-Who-Is came upon God-Will-See son of He-Who-Is-Remembers, the son of He-Who-Is-Has-Built, the son of God-Sweeps-Away, the son of Gift-of-He-Who-Is, a Joined-One from Gatherer’s descendants, as he stood in the midst of the assembly.
15And he said, “Listen, all you people of Praised and Foundation-of-Peace! Listen, King He-Who-Is-Has-Judged! This is what He-Who-Is 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 He-Who-Is on your behalf, O Praised and Foundation-of-Peace. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for He-Who-Is is with you.’”
18Then He-Who-Is-Has-Judged bowed facedown, and all the people of Praised and Foundation-of-Peace fell down before He-Who-Is to worship Him.
19And the Joined-Ones from the Allied-Ones and Shaven-Ones stood up to praise He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God, shouting in a very loud voice.
20Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Trumpet-Blast. As they set out, He-Who-Is-Has-Judged stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Praised and Foundation-of-Peace. Believe in He-Who-Is your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”
21Then He-Who-Is-Has-Judged consulted with the people and appointed those who would sing to He-Who-Is and praise the splendor of His devotedness. As they went out before the army, they were singing: “Give thanks to He-Who-Is, for His loving devotion endures forever.”
22The moment they began their shouts and praises, He-Who-Is set ambushes against the men of Kindred, From-the-Father, and Mount Hairy who had come against Praised, and they were defeated.
23The children of Kindred and children of From-the-Father rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Hairy, devoting them to destruction. And when they had finished off the inhabitants of Hairy, they helped to destroy one another.
24When the men of Praised 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 He-Who-Is-Has-Judged 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.
26On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Blessing, where they blessed He-Who-Is. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Blessing to this day.
27Then all the men of Praised and Foundation-of-Peace, with He-Who-Is-Has-Judged at their head, returned joyfully to Foundation-of-Peace, for He-Who-Is had made them rejoice over their enemies.
28So they entered Foundation-of-Peace and went into the house of He-Who-Is with harps, lyres, and trumpets.
29And the fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that He-Who-Is had fought against the enemies of Strives-with-God.
30Then He-Who-Is-Has-Judged’s kingdom was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.
31So He-Who-Is-Has-Judged reigned over Praised. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Foundation-of-Peace twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Forsaken daughter of Armed-One.
32And He-Who-Is-Has-Judged walked in the way of his father Healer and did not turn away from it; he did what was right in the eyes of He-Who-Is.
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 He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, from beginning to end, they are indeed written in the Chronicles of He-Who-Is-He son of Gracious, which are recorded in the Book of the Kings of Strives-with-God.
35Later, He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised made an alliance with He-Who-Is-Has-Grasped king of Strives-with-God, who acted wickedly.
36They agreed to make ships to go to Far-Shore, and these were built in Backbone-of-the-Mighty-Man.
37Then My-God-Is-Help son of Beloved-of-He-Who-Is of Summit prophesied against He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with He-Who-Is-Has-Grasped, He-Who-Is has destroyed your works.” So the ships were wrecked and were unable to sail to Far-Shore.