Judah’s King Jehoshaphat

17 His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place(A) and strengthened himself against Israel. He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah(B) and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.(C)

Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David.[a] He did not seek the Baals but sought the God of his father and walked by His commands, not according to the practices of Israel.(D) So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance.(E) His mind rejoiced in the Lord’s ways, and he again(F) removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 17:3 Some Hb mss, LXX omit David

Jehoshaphat Rules in Judah

17 Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next king. He strengthened Judah to stand against any attack from Israel. He stationed troops in all the fortified towns of Judah, and he assigned additional garrisons to the land of Judah and to the towns of Ephraim that his father, Asa, had captured.

The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father’s early years[a] and did not worship the images of Baal. He sought his father’s God and obeyed his commands instead of following the evil practices of the kingdom of Israel. So the Lord established Jehoshaphat’s control over the kingdom of Judah. All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so he became very wealthy and highly esteemed. He was deeply committed to[b] the ways of the Lord. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts read the example of his father, David.
  2. 17:6 Hebrew His heart was courageous in.