2 Chronicles 17

1 Asa's son Jehoshaphat took over as king. He strengthened his country's defenses against Israel.

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

2 He assigned troops to every fortified city of Judah and placed garrisons throughout Judah and in the towns 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 The Lord supported Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David. He did not believe in 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 worshiped the God of his father and obeyed his commandments, unlike what the kingdom of Israel was doing.

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

5 So the Lord made Jehoshaphat's hold on the kingdom secure, and all the people of Judah paid their dues to him. As a result he became very wealthy and highly honored.

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

6 He was sincerely committed to what the Lord wanted. He also 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 towns 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 He sent along with the them Levites named Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, and with them 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 Taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord they taught as they went around Judah. They visited all the towns of Judah, teaching 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 All the surrounding kingdoms were in awe of the Lord, so that they did not attack 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 of the Philistines even brought him gifts and silver, while the Arabians brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.

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 increasingly powerful, and he built fortresses and storehouse towns in Judah.

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

13 He maintained a great deal of supplies in the towns of Judah. He also had troops, experienced warriors, in Jerusalem.

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

14 This is a count of them, according to their family lines: from Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and 300,000 mighty warriors with him;

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 then Jehohanan the commander, and 280,000 with him;

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

16 then Amasiah, son of Zichri, who volunteered to serve the Lord, and 200,000 mighty warriors with him;

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 warrior, and 200,000 with him 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 then Jehozabad, and 180,000 with him ready 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, in addition those he assigned to the fortified towns 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.