2 Chronicles 17

Judah’s King Jehoshaphat

¹His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place and strengthened himself against Israel.²³He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.⁴

⁵Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his ancestor David. He did not seek the Baals⁶⁷but sought the God of his father and walked by his commands, not according to the practices of Israel.⁸⁹So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance.¹⁰¹¹He took great pride in the Lord’s ways, and he again removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.¹²

Jehoshaphat’s Educational Plan

¹³In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials — Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah — to teach in the cities of Judah.¹⁴¹⁵The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites.¹⁶¹⁷They taught throughout Judah, having the book of the Lord’s instruction with them. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.¹⁸

¹⁹The terror of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat.²⁰²¹Some of the Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.²²

Jehoshaphat’s Military Might

²³Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses and storage cities in Judah²⁴²⁵and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had fighting men, valiant warriors, in Jerusalem.²⁶²⁷These are their numbers according to their ancestral families. For Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander and three hundred thousand valiant warriors with him;²⁸

²⁹next to him, Jehohanan the commander and two hundred eighty thousand with him;³⁰

³¹next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer of the Lord, and two hundred thousand valiant warriors with him;³²

³³from Benjamin, Eliada, a valiant warrior, and two hundred thousand with him armed with bow and shield;³⁴

³⁵next to him, Jehozabad and one hundred eighty thousand with him equipped for war.³⁶

³⁷These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.³⁸