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2 Chronicles 20:12

Our 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.”
2 Chronicles 20:12 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
  • KJV O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
  • NKJV O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
  • NASB Our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
  • NLT O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Confessing his helplessness, Jehoshaphat prays, 'We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you.'

Overview

This honest admission of weakness paired with fixed trust in God is the heart of faith. The king casts the entire battle on the LORD, looking to Him alone. It remains a model prayer for every believer overwhelmed and out of options, who finds strength in dependence on God.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 20

  • Ps 121:1–2A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
  • Ps 25:15My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh.
  • Ps 141:8But my eyes are fixed on You, O GOD the Lord. In You I seek refuge; do not leave my soul defenseless.
  • Ps 123:1–2A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven.
  • Deut 32:36For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants when He sees that their strength is gone and no one remains, slave or free.
  • 2 Cor 1:8–9We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
  • Ps 9:19Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence.
  • Ps 43:1Vindicate me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation; deliver me from deceitful and unjust men.
  • 2 Sam 14:11“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
  • Judg 11:27I have not sinned against you, but you have done me wrong by waging war against me. May the LORD, the Judge, decide today between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
  • Jonah 2:4At this, I said, ‘I have been banished from Your sight; yet I will look once more toward Your holy temple.’
  • 1 Sam 3:13I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.
  • Ps 7:8The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and integrity.
  • Rev 19:11Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.
  • 2 Kgs 6:15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early in the morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
  • Joel 3:12Let the nations be roused and advance to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the nations on every side.
  • Isa 2:4Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war.
  • 1 Sam 14:6Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
  • Isa 42:4He will not grow weak or discouraged before He has established justice on the earth. In His law the islands will put their hope.”
  • Ps 7:6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; rise up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God, and ordain judgment.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

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Christ at the center

Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.

How 2 Chronicles 20:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.