2 Chronicles 17

¹ His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king and strengthened his hold against Israel.

² He placed armed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which his father Asa had taken.

³ The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, for he walked in the ways his father had pursued in the beginning, and he did not consult the Baals.

⁴ Rather, he sought the God of his father and observed his commands, and not the practices of Israel.

⁵ As a result, the LORD made his kingdom secure, and all Judah gave Jehoshaphat gifts, so that he enjoyed great wealth and glory.

⁶ Thus he was encouraged to follow the LORD'S ways, and again he removed the high places and the sacred poles from Judah.

⁷ In the third year of his reign he sent his leading men, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

⁸ With them he sent the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah and Tobijah, together with the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

⁹ They taught in Judah, having with them the book containing the law of the LORD; they traveled through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

¹⁰ Now the fear of the LORD was upon all the kingdoms of the countries surrounding Judah, so that they did not war against Jehoshaphat.

¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and a tribute of silver; and the Arabs also brought him a flock of seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.

¹² Jehoshaphat grew steadily greater. He built strongholds and store cities in Judah.

¹³ He carried out many works in the cities of Judah, and he had soldiers, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ This was their mustering according to their ancestral houses. Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him three hundred thousand valiant warriors.

¹⁵ Next to him, Jehohanan the commander, and with him two hundred eighty thousand.

¹⁶ Next to him, Amasiah, son of Zichri, who offered himself to the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand valiant warriors.

¹⁷ From Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant warrior, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and buckler.

¹⁸ Next to him, Jozabad, and with him one hundred and eighty thousand equipped for war.

¹⁹ These were at the service of the king; in addition were those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.