2 Chronicles 19

1 And Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went back to his house in Jerusalem in peace.

And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned unto his own house in peace, to Jerusalem.

2 And Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer, went to King Jehoshaphat and said to him, Is it right for you to go to the help of evil-doers, loving the haters of the Lord? because of this, the wrath of the Lord has come on you.

And there came out to meet him, Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, who said unto King Jehoshaphat, Unto the lawless, was it [right] to give help? and, on them who hate Yahweh, to bestow thy love? For this cause, therefore, is there wrath against thee, from before Yahweh;

3 But still there is some good in you, for you have put away the wood pillars out of the land, and have given your heart to the worship of God.

howbeit, good things, are found with thee, -for that thou hast consumed the Sacred Stems out of the land, and hast fixed thy heart to seek God.

4 And Jehoshaphat was living in Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people, from Beer-sheba to the hill-country of Ephraim, guiding them back to the Lord, the God of their fathers.

So Jehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem, —and he again went forth among the people, from Beersheba as far as the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

5 And he put judges through all the land, in every walled town of Judah,

And he stationed judges in the land, throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city;

6 And said to the judges, Take care what you do, for you are judging not for man but for the Lord, and he is with you in the decisions you give.

and said unto the judges, See what, ye, are doing, inasmuch as, not for man, must ye judge, but for Yahweh, —who will be with you, in the word of justice.

7 So now let the fear of the Lord be in you; do your work with care; for in the Lord our God there is no evil, or respect for high position, or taking of payment to do wrong.

Now, therefore, let the dread of Yahweh be upon you, —observe and do, for there is, with Yahweh our God, neither perversity nor respect of persons nor the taking of bribes.

8 Then in Jerusalem he gave authority to certain of the Levites and the priests and the heads of families of Israel to give decisions for the Lord, and in the causes of those living in Jerusalem.

And, even in Jerusalem, did Jehoshaphat station some of the Levites and the priests, and of the ancestral chiefs of Israel, to pronounce the just sentence of Yahweh, and to settle disputes, —when they returned to Jerusalem.

9 And he gave them their orders, saying, You are to do your work in the fear of the Lord, in good faith and with a true heart.

And he laid charge upon them, saying, —Thus, shall ye act, in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully and with an undivided heart.

10 And if any cause comes before you from your brothers living in their towns, where the death punishment is in question, or where there are questions of law or order, or rules or decisions, make them take care that they are not in the wrong before the Lord, so that wrath may not come on you and on your brothers; do this and you yourselves will not be in the wrong.

Any dispute that shall come in unto you from among your brethren who are dwelling in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment and statutes and regulations, then shall ye warn them, that they may not become guilty against Yahweh, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren, —Thus, shall ye act, and not incur guilt.

11 And now, Amariah, the chief priest, is over you in all questions to do with the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the head of the family of Judah, in everything to do with the king's business; and the Levites will be overseers for you. Be strong to do the work; and may the Lord be with the upright.

And lo! Amariah the chief priest, is over you as to every matter of Yahweh, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael the chief ruler for the house of Judah, as to every matter of the king, and, as officers, the Levites are before you, —Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the good!