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2 Chronicles 19
New International Version

19 When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, 2 Jehu(A) the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, “Should you help the wicked(B) and love[a] those who hate the Lord?(C) Because of this, the wrath(D) of the Lord is on you. 3 There is, however, some good(E) in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles(F) and have set your heart on seeking God.(G)”

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges(H) in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 6 He told them, “Consider carefully what you do,(I) because you are not judging for mere mortals(J) but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. 7 Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice(K) or partiality(L) or bribery.”

8 In Jerusalem also, Jehoshaphat appointed some of the Levites,(M) priests(N) and heads of Israelite families to administer(O) the law of the Lord and to settle disputes. And they lived in Jerusalem. 9 He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord. 10 In every case that comes before you from your people who live in the cities—whether bloodshed or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or regulations—you are to warn them not to sin against the Lord;(P) otherwise his wrath will come on you and your people. Do this, and you will not sin.

11 “Amariah the chief priest will be over you in any matter concerning the Lord, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the tribe of Judah, will be over you in any matter concerning the king, and the Levites will serve as officials before you. Act with courage,(Q) and may the Lord be with those who do well.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:2 Or and make alliances with
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2 Chronicles 19
English Standard Version

Jehoshaphat's Reforms

19 Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. 2 But (A)Jehu the son of (B)Hanani (C)the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you (D)help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, (E)wrath has gone out against you from the Lord. 3 Nevertheless, (F)some good is found in you, for (G)you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have (H)set your heart to seek God.”

4 Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem. And he went out again among the people, from Beersheba to (I)the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 5 He appointed (J)judges in the land in all (K)the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, (L)for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. 7 Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for (M)there is no injustice with the Lord our God, (N)or partiality or taking bribes.”

8 Moreover, in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat (O)appointed certain Levites and priests and heads of families of Israel, (P)to give judgment for the Lord and to decide disputed cases. They had their seat at Jerusalem. 9 And he charged them: (Q)“Thus you shall do in the fear of the Lord, in faithfulness, (R)and with your whole heart: 10 (S)whenever a case comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, concerning bloodshed, law or commandment, statutes or rules, then you shall warn them, that they may not incur guilt before the Lord and (T)wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt. 11 And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you (U)in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters, and the Levites will serve you as officers. (V)Deal courageously, and may the Lord be with the upright!”[a]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:11 Hebrew the good
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2 Chronicles 19
New American Standard Bible

Jehu Rebukes Jehoshaphat

19 Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in safety to his house in Jerusalem. 2 (A)And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “(B)Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord, and [a](C)by doing so bring wrath on yourself from the Lord? 3 But [b](D)there is some good in you, for (E)you have removed the [c]Asheroth from the land and you (F)have set your heart to seek God.”

4 So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and (G)brought them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Reforms Instituted

5 He appointed (H)judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. 6 He said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for (I)you do not judge for mankind but for the Lord who is with you [d]when you render judgment. 7 Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be careful [e]about what you do, for [f]the Lord our God will (J)have no part in injustice (K)or partiality, or in the taking of a bribe.”

8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed some (L)of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and [g]to judge disputes among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 9 Then he commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and wholeheartedly. 10 (M)Whenever any dispute comes to you from your countrymen who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you shall warn them so that they will not be guilty before the Lord, and (N)wrath will not come on you and your countrymen. This you shall do and you will not be guilty. 11 Behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in (O)every matter [h]that pertains to the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. [i](P)Act resolutely, and may the Lord be with the upright.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:2 Lit by this
  2. 2 Chronicles 19:3 Lit good things are found
  3. 2 Chronicles 19:3 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity
  4. 2 Chronicles 19:6 Lit in the word of judgment
  5. 2 Chronicles 19:7 Lit and do
  6. 2 Chronicles 19:7 Lit it is not with the Lord our God
  7. 2 Chronicles 19:8 As in ancient versions; MT for the dispute. And they returned to Jerusalem; or And they lived in Jerusalem
  8. 2 Chronicles 19:11 Lit of
  9. 2 Chronicles 19:11 Lit Be strong and do
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2 Chronicles 19
Common English Bible

19 Upon the safe arrival of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat to his palace in Jerusalem, 2 Jehu son of Hanani the seer came out to meet him and said, “Why did you help the wicked? Why have you loved those who hate the Lord? This is why the Lord is angry with you. 3 Nevertheless, there is some good to be found in you, in that you have removed the sacred poles[a] from the land and set your mind to seek God.”

Jehoshaphat’s reforms

4 Though Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, he regularly went out among the people between Beer-sheba and Ephraim’s highlands, and encouraged them to return to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges throughout the land in each of the fortified cities of Judah, 6 instructing them, “Be careful when you pass judgment. You aren’t dispensing justice by merely human standards but for the Lord, who is with you. 7 Therefore, respect the Lord and act accordingly, because there can be no injustice, playing favorites, or taking bribes when it comes to the Lord our God.”

8 Jehoshaphat also appointed judges in Jerusalem from among the Levites, the priests, and the family heads of Israel to administer the Lord’s Instruction and to settle disputes among those living[b] in Jerusalem. 9 He instructed them, “You must respect the Lord at all times, in truth, and with complete integrity. 10 In any case that comes before you from a fellow citizen in an outlying town, whether it involves bloodshed or is an issue of instruction, commandment, regulations, or case laws, you must warn them not to sin against the Lord, consequently making him angry with both you and your fellow citizen. Do this, and you won’t sin. 11 Amariah the chief priest will be in charge of all religious matters, and Zebadiah, Ishmael’s son, the leader of Judah’s house, will be in charge of all civil matters. The Levites will serve as your officers of the court. Carry out your duties with confidence, and may the Lord be with those who do good.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 19:3 Heb asherot, perhaps objects devoted to the goddess Asherah
  2. 2 Chronicles 19:8 LXX, Vulg; MT they returned to Jerusalem
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2 Chronicles 19
Contemporary English Version

19 Jehoshaphat returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. 2 But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said:

By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the Lord. Now the Lord God is angry with you! 3 But not everything about you is bad. You destroyed the sacred poles[a] used in worshiping the goddess Asherah—that shows you have tried to obey the Lord.

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges To Settle Cases

4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he often traveled through his kingdom, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north. He talked with the people and convinced them to turn back to the Lord God and worship him, just as their ancestors had done.

5 He assigned judges to each of the fortified cities in Judah 6 and told them:

Be careful when you make your decisions in court, because you are judging by the Lord's standards and not by human standards, and he will know what you decide. 7 So do your work in honor of him and know that he won't allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes.

8 Jehoshaphat also chose some Levites, some priests, and some of the family leaders, and he appointed them to serve as judges in Jerusalem. 9 He told them:

Faithfully serve the Lord! 10 The people of Judah will bring you legal cases that involve every type of crime, including murder. You must settle these cases and warn the people to stop sinning against the Lord, so that he won't get angry and punish Judah. Remember, if you follow these instructions, you won't be held responsible for anything that happens.

11 Amariah the high priest will have the final say in any religious case. And Zebadiah, the leader[b] of the Judah tribe, will have the final say in all other cases. The rest of the Levites will serve as your assistants. Be brave, and I pray that the Lord will help you do right.

Footnotes

  1. 19.3 sacred poles: See the note at 14.3.
  2. 19.11 Zebadiah, the leader: Hebrew “Zebadiah son of Ishmael, who is the leader.”
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