Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority, ¹  for ²  the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.

So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. The Lord helped him; God lured them away from him.

You will not fight in this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, ¹  O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! ²  Tomorrow march out toward them; the Lord is with you!’”

Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army, ¹  for the people of Judah ²  had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians ³  gave Joash what he deserved. ⁴