Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

17 His son ^(A)Jehoshaphat then became king in his place, and he proved himself strong over Israel. ² He placed troops in all ^(B)the fortified cities of Judah, and placed garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim ^(C)which his father Asa had captured.

His Good Reign

³ And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he ^[a]followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, ⁴ but sought the God of his father, ^[b]followed His commandments, ^(D)and did not act as Israel did. ⁵ So the Lord established the kingdom in his ^[c]control, and all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and ^(E)he had great riches and honor. ^6 [d]He took great pride in the ways of the Lord, and again ^(F)removed the high places and the ^[e]Asherim from Judah.

⁷ Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, ^(G)to teach in the cities of Judah; ⁸ and with them ^(H)the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ⁹ They taught in Judah, having ^(I)the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; and they went throughout the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

¹⁰ Now ^(J)the dread of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ Some of the Philistines ^(K)brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat; the Arabians also brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. ¹² So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. ¹³ He had large supplies in the cities of Judah, and warriors, valiant mighty men, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ This was their muster according to their fathers’ households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah was the commander, and with him three hundred thousand valiant warriors; ¹⁵ and next to him was Johanan the commander, and with him 280,000; ¹⁶ and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, ^(L)who volunteered for the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand valiant warriors; ¹⁷ and of Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; ¹⁸ and next to him Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 equipped for war. ¹⁹ These are the ones who served the king, apart from ^(M)those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.