2 Chronicles 17

1 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place, and he strengthened himself against Israel.

And Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place, and made himself strong against Israel.

2 He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

He put forces in all the walled towns of Judah, and responsible chiefs in the land of Judah and in the towns of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

3 Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek out the Baals,

And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he went in the early ways of his father, not turning to the Baals,

4 but he sought the God of his father and walked by His commandments rather than the practices of Israel.

But turning to the God of his father and keeping his laws, and not doing as Israel did.

5 So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.

So the Lord made his kingdom strong; and all Judah gave offerings to Jehoshaphat, and he had great wealth and honour.

6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

His heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord; and he went so far as to take away the high places and the wood pillars out of Judah.

7 In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah,

In the third year of his rule he sent Benhail and Obadiah and Zechariah and Nethanel and Micaiah, his captains, as teachers into the towns of Judah;

8 accompanied by certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah—along with the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

And with them, Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan and Adonijah and Tobijah and Tob-adonijah, the Levites; and Elishama and Jehoram the priests.

9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

And they gave teaching in Judah and had the book of the law of the Lord with them; they went through all the towns of Judah teaching the people.

10 And the dread of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.

And the fear of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands round Judah, so that they made no wars against Jehoshaphat.

11 Some Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.

And some of the Philistines took offerings to Jehoshaphat, and made him payments of silver; and the Arabians gave him flocks, seven thousand, seven hundred sheep, and seven thousand, seven hundred he-goats.

12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger, and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah

Jehoshaphat became greater and greater, and made strong towers and store-towns in Judah.

13 and kept vast supplies in the cities of Judah. He also had warriors in Jerusalem who were mighty men of valor.

He had much property in the towns of Judah; he had forces of armed men, great and strong, in Jerusalem.

14 These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor;

This is the number of them, listed by their families, the captains of thousands of Judah: Adnah, the captain, and with him three hundred thousand men of war;

15 next to him, Jehohanan the commander, and with him 280,000;

Second to him Jehohanan, the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand;

16 and next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer for the LORD, and with him 200,000 mighty men of valor.

After him Amasiah, the son of Zichri, who freely gave himself to the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand men of war;

17 From Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, and with him 200,000 armed with bows and shields;

And the captains of Benjamin: Eliada, a great man of war, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bows and body-covers;

18 and next to him, Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 armed for battle.

And after him Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand trained for war.

19 These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

These were the men who were waiting on the king, in addition to those placed by the king in the walled towns through all Judah.