2 Chronicles 17

Judah’s King Jehoshaphat

17His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place ^qand strengthened himself against Israel. ²He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah ^rand set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. ^s

³Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former ways of his father David. ^tHe did not seek the Baals ⁴but sought the God of his father and walked by His commands, not according to the practices of Israel. ^u5So the Lord established the kingdom in his hand. Then all Judah brought him tribute, and he had riches and honor in abundance. ^v6His mind rejoiced in the Lord’s ways, and he again ^wremoved the high places and Asherah poles from Judah. ^x

Jehoshaphat’s Educational Plan

⁷In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials—Ben-hail, ^yObadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah—to teach in the cities of Judah. ^z8The Levites with them were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, ^aAsahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; the priests, Elishama and Jehoram, were with these Levites. ⁹They taught throughout Judah, having the book of the Lord’s instruction with them. ^bThey went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰The terror of the Lord was on all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, ^cso they didn’t fight against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹Some 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. ^d

Jehoshaphat’s Military Might

¹²Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger. He built fortresses ^eand storage cities in Judah ¹³and carried out great works in the towns of Judah. He had fighting men, brave warriors, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴These are their numbers according to their ancestral families. For Judah, the commanders of thousands:

Adnah the commander and 300,000 brave warriors with him;

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

¹⁶next to him, Amasiah son of Zichri, the volunteer ^fof the Lord, and 200,000 brave warriors with him;

¹⁷from Benjamin, Eliada, a brave warrior, and 200,000 with him armed with bow and shield;

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

¹⁹These were the ones who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah. ^g