דברי הימים ב', יח-כב: מרחב הפעולה של המאמין בה'

And it came to pass after this, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them some of the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying: ‘There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea from Aram; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar’—the same is En-gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek unto the LORD; and he proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to seek help of the LORD; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD. And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court; and he said: ‘O LORD, the God of our fathers, art not Thou alone God in heaven? and art not Thou ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? and in Thy hand is power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee. Didst not Thou, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend for ever? And they dwelt therein, and have built Thee a sanctuary therein for Thy name, saying: If evil come upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house, and before Thee—for Thy name is in this house—and cry unto Thee in our affliction, and Thou wilt hear and save. And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom Thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not; behold, they render unto us [evil], to come to cast us out of Thy possession, which Thou hast given us to inherit. O our God, wilt Thou not execute judgment on them? for we have no might against this great multitude that cometh against us; neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee.’ And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite, of the sons of Asaph, came the spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation; and he said: ‘Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat: thus saith the LORD unto you: Fear not ye, neither be dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. To-morrow go ye down against them; behold, they come up by the ascent of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the valley, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; to-morrow go out against them; for the LORD is with you.’ And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, with an exceeding loud voice.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said: ‘Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.’ And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto the LORD, and praise in the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say: ‘Give thanks unto the LORD, for His mercy endureth for ever.’

And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set liers-in-wait against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, that were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came to the watch-tower of the wilderness, they looked upon the multitude; and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and there were none that escaped.

Behold, this day thy eyes have seen how the Lord had delivered thee to day into my hand in the cave: and some told me to kill thee: but my eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put out my hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed. Moreover, my father, see, indeed, see the corner of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the corner of thy robe, and did not kill thee, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee. As the proverb of the ancients says, Wickedness proceeds from the wicked: but my hand shall not be upon thee. After whom is the king of Yisra᾽el come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a single flea.

Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Pelishtim are fighting against Qe῾ila, and are plundering the threshingfloors. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Pelishtim? And the Lord said to David, Go, and smite the Pelishtim, and save Qe῾ila. And David’s men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Yehuda: how much more then if we come to Qe῾ila against the armies of the Pelishtim? Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go down to Qe῾ila; for I will deliver the Pelishtim into thy hand. So David and his men went to Qe῾ila, and fought with the Pelishtim, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Qe῾ila.

And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Yehuda? And the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Where shall I go up? And he said, To Ĥevron. So David went up there, and his two wives also, Aĥino῾am the Yizre῾elite, and Avigayil, Naval’s wife, the Karmelite. And David brought up his men that were with him, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Ĥevron. And the men of Yehuda came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Yehuda. And they told David, saying, That the men of Yavesh-gil῾ad were they that buried Sha᾽ul.

And Yonatan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will perform a deed for us: for there is no restraint upon the Lord to save by many or by few. And his armourbearer said to him, Do all that is in thy heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart. Then said Yonatan, Behold, we will pass over to these men, and we will reveal ourselves to them.

And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah: ‘Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead?’ And he answered him: ‘I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.’ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel: ‘Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today.’ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them: ‘Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?’ And they said: ‘Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.’ But Jehoshaphat said: ‘Is there not here besides a prophet of the LORD, that we might inquire of him?’ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: ‘There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good concerning me, but always evil; the same is Micaiah the son of Imla.’ And Jehoshaphat said: ‘Let not the king say so.’ Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said: ‘Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.’ Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sat in a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said: ‘Thus saith the LORD: With these shalt thou gore the Arameans, until they be consumed.’ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying: ‘Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.’ And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying: ‘Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.’ And Micaiah said: ‘As the LORD liveth, what my God saith, that will I speak.’ And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him: ‘aMicaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?’ And he said: ‘Go ye up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.’ And the king said to him: ‘How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD.’ And he said: ‘I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said: These have no master, let them return every man to his house in peace.’ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: ‘Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?’