⁸ “^(A)If a case is too difficult for you to decide, between ^[a]one kind of homicide or another, between ^[b]one kind of lawsuit or another, and between ^[c]one kind of assault or another, that are cases of dispute in your ^[d]courts, then you shall arise and go up to ^(B)the place which the Lord your God chooses. ⁹ So you shall come to ^(C)the Levitical priests or the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall inquire of them and they will declare to you the ^[e]verdict. ¹⁰ Then you shall act in accordance with the ^[f]terms of the verdict which they declare to you from that place which the Lord chooses; and you shall be careful to act in accordance with everything that they instruct you to do. ^11 (D)In accordance with the ^[g]terms of the law about which they instruct you, and in accordance with the verdict which they tell you, you shall act; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left. ¹² But the person who acts ^(E)insolently by not listening to the priest who stands there to serve the Lord your God, nor to the judge, that person shall die; so you shall eliminate the evil from Israel. ¹³ Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act ^(F)insolently again.

Portion for the Levites

18 “^(A)The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall not have a portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the Lord’s offerings by fire and His ^[a]property. ^2 (B)They shall not have an inheritance among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He ^[b]promised them.

³ “^(C)Now this shall be the priests’ portion from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep: they shall give the priest the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the stomach. ⁴ You shall give him the ^(D)first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep. ^5 (E)For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to ^(F)stand to serve in the name of the Lord always.

⁶ “Now if a Levite comes from any of your ^[c]towns throughout Israel where he ^(G)resides, and he comes ^[d]whenever he desires to the place which the Lord chooses, ⁷ then he shall serve in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand there before the Lord. ^8 (H)They shall eat ^[e]equal portions, except for what they receive from the sale of their fathers’ estates.

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

Reforms Instituted

⁵ He appointed ^(B)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 ^(C)you do not judge for mankind but for the Lord who is with you ^[a]when you render judgment. ⁷ Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be careful ^[b]about what you do, for ^[c]the Lord our God will ^(D)have no part in injustice ^(E)or partiality, or in the taking of a bribe.”

⁸ In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat also appointed some ^(F)of the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and ^[d]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 (G)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 ^(H)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 ^(I)every matter ^[e]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. ^[f](J)Act resolutely, and may the Lord be with the upright.”