2 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים 17

1 וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יְהֹושָׁפָ֥ט בְּנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּ֑יו וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֖ק עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

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

2 וַיִּ֨תֶּן־חַ֔יִל בְּכָל־עָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָ֖ה הַבְּצֻרֹ֑ות וַיִּתֵּ֤ן נְצִיבִים֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֔ה וּבְעָרֵ֣י אֶפְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָכַ֖ד אָסָ֥א אָבִֽיו׃

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.

3 וַיְהִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה עִם־יְהֹושָׁפָ֑ט כִּ֣י הָלַ֗ךְ בְּדַרְכֵ֞י דָּוִ֤יד אָבִיו֙ הָרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א דָרַ֖שׁ לַבְּעָלִֽים׃

The Lord supported Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David. He did not believe in the Baals,

4 כִּ֠י לֽ͏ֵאלֹהֵ֤י אָבִיו֙ דָּרָ֔שׁ וּבְמִצְוֹתָ֖יו הָלָ֑ךְ וְלֹ֖א כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

but worshiped the God of his father and obeyed his commandments, unlike what the kingdom of Israel was doing.

5 וַיָּ֨כֶן יְהוָ֤ה אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙ בְּיָדֹ֔ו וַיִּתְּנ֧וּ כָל־יְהוּדָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לִיהֹושָׁפָ֑ט וַֽיְהִי־לֹ֥ו עֹֽשֶׁר־וְכָבֹ֖וד לָרֹֽב׃

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.

6 וַיִּגְבַּ֥הּ לִבֹּ֖ו בְּדַרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְעֹ֗וד הֵסִ֛יר אֶת־הַבָּמֹ֥ות וְאֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִ֖ים מִיהוּדָֽה׃ פ

He was sincerely committed to what the Lord wanted. He also he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

7 וּבִשְׁנַ֨ת שָׁלֹ֜ושׁ לְמָלְכֹ֗ו שָׁלַ֤ח לְשָׂרָיו֙ לְבֶן־חַ֙יִל֙ וּלְעֹבַדְיָ֣ה וְלִזְכַרְיָ֔ה וְלִנְתַנְאֵ֖ל וּלְמִיכָיָ֑הוּ לְלַמֵּ֖ד בְּעָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

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.

8 וְעִמָּהֶ֣ם הַלְוִיִּ֗ם שְֽׁמַֽעְיָ֡הוּ וּנְתַנְיָ֡הוּ וּזְבַדְיָ֡הוּ וַעֲשָׂהאֵ֡ל וּשְׁמִרִימֹות (וּשְׁמִֽירָמֹ֡ות) וִֽיהֹונָתָן֩ וַאֲדֹ֨נִיָּ֧הוּ וְטֹֽובִיָּ֛הוּ וְטֹ֥וב אֲדֹונִיָּ֖ה הַלְוִיִּ֑ם וְעִמָּהֶ֛ם אֱלִישָׁמָ֥ע וִֽיהֹורָ֖ם הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃

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.

9 וַֽיְלַמְּדוּ֙ בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה וְעִ֨מָּהֶ֔ם סֵ֖פֶר תֹּורַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וַיָּסֹ֙בּוּ֙ בְּכָל־עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיְלַמְּד֖וּ בָּעָֽם׃

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.

10 וַיְהִ֣י ׀ פַּ֣חַד יְהוָ֗ה עַ֚ל כָּל־מַמְלְכֹ֣ות הֽ͏ָאֲרָצֹ֔ות אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבֹ֣ות יְהוּדָ֑ה וְלֹ֥א נִלְחֲמ֖וּ עִם־יְהֹושָׁפָֽט׃

All the surrounding kingdoms were in awe of the Lord, so that they did not attack Jehoshaphat.

11 וּמִן־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים מְבִיאִ֧ים לִֽיהֹושָׁפָ֛ט מִנְחָ֖ה וְכֶ֣סֶף מַשָּׂ֑א גַּ֣ם הָֽעַרְבִיאִ֗ים מְבִיאִ֥ים לֹו֙ צֹ֕אן אֵילִ֔ים שִׁבְעַ֤ת אֲלָפִים֙ וּשְׁבַ֣ע מֵאֹ֔ות וּתְיָשִׁ֕ים שִׁבְעַ֥ת אֲלָפִ֖ים וּשְׁבַ֥ע מֵאֹֽות׃ פ

Some of the Philistines even brought him gifts and silver, while the Arabians brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.

12 וַיְהִ֧י יְהֹושָׁפָ֛ט הֹלֵ֥ךְ וְגָדֵ֖ל עַד־לְמָ֑עְלָה וַיִּ֧בֶן בִּֽיהוּדָ֛ה בִּירָנִיֹּ֖ות וְעָרֵ֥י מִסְכְּנֹֽות׃

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

13 וּמְלָאכָ֥ה רַבָּ֛ה הָ֥יָה לֹ֖ו בְּעָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וְאַנְשֵׁ֧י מִלְחָמָ֛ה גִּבֹּ֥ורֵי חַ֖יִל בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

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

14 וְאֵ֥לֶּה פְקֻדָּתָ֖ם לְבֵ֣ית אֲבֹותֵיהֶ֑ם לִֽיהוּדָה֙ שָׂרֵ֣י אֲלָפִ֔ים עַדְנָ֣ה הַשָּׂ֔ר וְעִמֹּו֙ גִּבֹּ֣ורֵי חַ֔יִל שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵאֹ֖ות אָֽלֶף׃ ס

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;

15 וְעַל־יָדֹ֖ו יְהֹוחָנָ֣ן הַשָּׂ֑ר וְעִמֹּ֕ו מָאתַ֥יִם וּשְׁמֹונִ֖ים אָֽלֶף׃ ס

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

16 וְעַל־יָדֹו֙ עֲמַסְיָ֣ה בֶן־זִכְרִ֔י הַמִּתְנַדֵּ֖ב לַיהוָ֑ה וְעִמֹּ֛ו מָאתַ֥יִם אֶ֖לֶף גִּבֹּ֥ור חָֽיִל׃ ס

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

17 וּמִ֨ן־בִּנְיָמִ֔ן גִּבֹּ֥ור חַ֖יִל אֶלְיָדָ֑ע וְעִמֹּ֛ו נֹֽשְׁקֵי־קֶ֥שֶׁת וּמָגֵ֖ן מָאתַ֥יִם אָֽלֶף׃ ס

from Benjamin, Eliada, a mighty warrior, and 200,000 with him armed with bows and shields;

18 וְעַל־יָדֹ֖ו יְהֹוזָבָ֑ד וְעִמֹּ֛ו מֵאָֽה־וּשְׁמֹונִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף חֲלוּצֵ֥י צָבָֽא׃ ס

then Jehozabad, and 180,000 with him ready for battle;

19 אֵ֖לֶּה הַמְשָׁרְתִ֣ים אֶת־הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ מִלְּבַ֞ד אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ בְּעָרֵ֥י הַמִּבְצָ֖ר בְּכָל־יְהוּדָֽה׃ פ

These were the men who served the king, in addition those he assigned to the fortified towns throughout Judah.