Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

17 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king, and he consolidated his authority over Israel ² by placing troops in all of the fortified citadels through Judah and by establishing garrisons throughout the land of Judah and in the cities that his father Asa had captured.

³ The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example set during his ancestor David’s preliminary years by not pursuing the Baals.^{[a] 4} Instead, Jehoshaphat^[b] sought the God of his ancestors and obeyed his commands, unlike Israel. ⁵ Therefore the Lord secured Jehoshaphat’s^[c] kingdom under his control, with all of Judah paying him tribute, and Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and greatly respected. ⁶ He remained committed to following the Lord, and he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.