2 Chronicles 17

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

1His son 1Jehoshaphat then became king in his place, and he proved himself strong over Israel. 2He placed troops in all 2the fortified cities of Judah, and placed garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim 3which his father Asa had captured.

His Good Reign

3And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he 4followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, 4but sought the God of his father, 5followed His commandments, 6and did not act as Israel did. 5So the Lord established the kingdom in his 7control, and all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and 8he had great riches and honor. 69He took great pride in the ways of the Lord, and again 10removed the high places and the 11Asherim from Judah.

7Then in the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, 12to teach in the cities of Judah; 8and with them 13the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9They taught in Judah, having 14the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; and they went throughout the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

10Now 15the dread of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands which were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. 11Some of the Philistines 16brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat; the Arabians also brought him flocks, 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats. 12So Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. 13He had large supplies in the cities of Judah, and warriors, valiant mighty men, in Jerusalem. 14This was their muster according to their fathers’ households: of Judah, commanders of thousands, Adnah was the commander, and with him three hundred thousand valiant warriors; 15and next to him was Johanan the commander, and with him 280,000; 16and next to him Amasiah the son of Zichri, 17who volunteered for the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand valiant warriors; 17and of Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; 18and next to him Jehozabad, and with him 180,000 equipped for war. 19These are the ones who served the king, apart from 18those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout Judah.