2 Chronicles 17
1 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, —and strengthened himself against Israel;
Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the king [of Judah], and he enabled his army to become very strong, with the result that they could resist attacks from [the army of] Israel.
2 and put forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, —and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had captured.
He put soldiers in all the cities in Judah around which they had built walls, and he put soldiers in other places in Judah and in the towns in the area belonging to the tribe of Ephraim that [soldiers of] his father Asa had captured.
3 And it came to pass, that, Yahweh, was with Jehoshaphat, —because he walked in the first ways of David his father, and sought not unto the Baalim;
Yahweh helped Jehoshaphat because when he started [to rule Judah], he did the things that pleased Yahweh like his ancestor [King] David had done. He did not worship the idols of Baal.
4 for, unto the God of his father, he sought, and, in his commandments, he walked, —and not according to the doing of Israel.
Instead, he sought advice from the God whom his father [had worshiped], and he obeyed God’s commands, and did not do the [evil things that the kings of] Israel continually did.
5 Therefore did Yahweh establish the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah gave a present unto Jehoshaphat, —and he came to have riches and honour, in abundance.
Yahweh enabled him to completely control his kingdom. All [the people of] Judah brought gifts to him, with the result that he became very rich and was greatly honored.
6 And his heart was encouraged, in the ways of Yahweh, —and he, yet further, took away the high places and the Sacred Stems, out of Judah.
He was completely devoted to doing what pleased Yahweh. His workers got rid of the shrines on the hilltops and the poles for [worshiping the goddess] Asherah throughout Judah.
7 And, in the third year of his reign, he sent to his rulers, even to Ben-hail and to Obadiah and to Zechariah, and to Nethanel, and to Micaiah, —that they were to teach throughout the cities of Judah;
When he had been ruling [Judah] for almost three years, he sent some of his officials—Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach the people in various towns in Judah.
8 and, with them, Levites, Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan, and Adonijah and Tobijah and Tob-adonijah, Levites, —and, with them, Elishama and Jehoram, priests;
With them he sent several descendants of Levi—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah—and two priests, Elishama and Jehoram.
9 and they taught throughout Judah, and, with them, was the book of the law of Yahweh, —so they went round throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
They took with them a scroll on which were written the laws of Yahweh and taught them to the people in all the towns throughout Judah,
10 And it came to pass, that, the dread of Yahweh, was upon all the kingdoms of the countries, that were round about Judah, —and they warred not against Jehoshaphat.
The people in all the kingdoms surrounding Judah became very afraid of [what Yahweh might do to punish them if they fought against Judah], so they did not start wars with Jehoshaphat’s army.
11 And, from among the Philistines, were they bringing in unto Jehoshaphat a present, and silver as tribute, —even the Arabians, were bringing in unto him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.
Some people from Philistia brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, and they also brought to him the silver that he demanded that they pay to him. Some Arabs brought to him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.
12 And so it came to pass that, Jehoshaphat, went on waxing surpassingly great, —and he built, throughout Judah, fortresses and cities for store;
Jehoshaphat continued to become more powerful/influential. His workers built forts and places to store supplies in various towns in Judah.
13 and, much business, had he, throughout the cities of Judah, —but, the men of war, the heroes of valour, were in Jerusalem.
Then they put large amounts of supplies in those storehouses. Jehoshaphat also placed in Jerusalem soldiers who were experienced.
14 And, these, are the numbers of them, by their ancestral house, —To Judah, pertained rulers of thousands, Adnah the chief, and, with him, mighty men of valour, three hundred thousand;
The leaders and numbers from each tribe were as follows: From the tribe of Judah, Adnah was the leader of the soldiers, and he commanded 300,000 soldiers.
15 and, under his direction, was Jehohanan the chief, —and, with him, two hundred and eighty thousand;
His assistant was Jehohanan, who commanded 280,000 soldiers.
16 and, under his direction, Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto Yahweh, —and, with him, two hundred thousand heroes of valour.
Next was Zicri’s son Amasiah, who volunteered to serve Yahweh in this way; he commanded 200,000 soldiers.
17 And, out of Benjamin, a hero of valour, Eliada, —and, with him, armed with bow and buckler, two hundred thousand;
From the tribe of Benjamin, Eliada, who was a brave soldier, was the leader of the soldiers; he commanded 200,000 men who had bows [and arrows] and shields.
18 and, under his direction, Jehozabad, —and, with him, a hundred and eighty thousand, equipped for war.
Next was Jehozabad, who commanded 180,000 men who had weapons for fighting battles.
19 These, were they who were waiting upon the king, —besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities, throughout all Judah.
Those were the soldiers who served the king [in Jerusalem], in addition to the men whom the king had placed in the other cities in Judah that had walls around them.
