2 Chronicles 17

1Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place and strengthened his position against Israel.

2He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and placed garrisons in the land of Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that Asa his father had captured.

3Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals,

4but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel.

5So Yahweh established the kingdom under his control. All Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.

6His heart was bold in the ways of Yahweh, and furthermore he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

7In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah.

8With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, the Levites, and with them the priests Elishama and Jehoram.

9They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of Yahweh with them. They went around through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

10The dread of Yahweh fell on all the kingdoms of the lands around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.

11Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs also brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.

12Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater. He built fortresses and store cities in Judah

13and carried out many works in the cities of Judah. He also had soldiers, mighty warriors, in Jerusalem.

14This was their enrollment by their ancestral houses: From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with three hundred thousand mighty warriors;

15next to him Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;

16and next to him Amasiah son of Zichri, who volunteered for the service of Yahweh, with two hundred thousand mighty warriors.

17From Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty warrior, with two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield;

18and next to him Jehozabad, with 180,000 men equipped for war.

19These were the men who served the king, besides those the king had stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.