^19:1When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned home safely to Jerusalem,¹^19:2the prophet² Jehu son of Hanani confronted him;³ he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord?⁴ Because you have done this the Lord is angry with you!⁵^19:3Nevertheless you have done some good things;⁶ you removed⁷ the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord.”⁸

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

^19:4Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem.⁹ He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow¹⁰ the Lord God of their ancestors.¹¹^19:5He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah.¹²^19:6He told the judges, “Be careful what you do,¹³ for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions. ^19:7Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.”¹⁴

^19:8In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the Lord¹⁵ and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem.¹⁶^19:9He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives.¹⁷^19:10Whenever your countrymen who live in the cities bring a case before you¹⁸ (whether it involves a violent crime¹⁹ or other matters related to the law, commandments, rules, and regulations), warn them that they must not sin against the Lord. If you fail to do so, God will be angry with you and your colleagues; but if you obey, you will be free of guilt.²⁰^19:11You will report to Amariah the chief priest in all matters pertaining to the Lord’s law, and to Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the family of Judah, in all matters pertaining to the king.²¹ The Levites will serve as officials before you. Confidently carry out your duties!²² May the Lord be with those who do well!”

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Footnotes

1 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
2 Or “seer.”
3 Heb “went out to his face.”
4 Heb “and love those who hate the Lord?”
5 Heb “and because of this upon you is anger from before the Lord.”
6 Heb “nevertheless good things are found with you.”
7 Here בָּעַר (ba’ar) is not the well attested verb “burn,” but the less common homonym meaning “devastate, sweep away, remove.” See II בער.
8 Heb “and you set your heart to seek the Lord.”
9 For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
10 Heb “and turned them back to.”
11 Heb “fathers.”
12 Heb “in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.”
13 Heb “see what you are doing.”
14 Heb “and now let the terror of the Lord be upon you, be careful and act for there is not with the Lord our God injustice, lifting up of a face, and taking a bribe.”
15 Heb “for the judgment of the Lord.”
16 Heb “and to conduct a case [or “for controversy”], and they returned [to] Jerusalem.” Some emend וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (vayyashuvu, “and they returned”) to וַיֵּשְׁבוּ (vayyeshévu, “and they lived [in]”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יֹשְׁבֵי (yoshévey, “residents of”).
17 Heb “This you must do with the fear of the Lord, with honesty, and with a complete heart.”
18 Heb “and every case which comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities.”
19 Heb “between blood pertaining to blood.”
20 Heb “and anger will be upon you and your brothers; do this and you will not be guilty.”
21 Heb “and look, Amariah the chief priest is over you with respect to every matter of the Lord, and Zebadiah … with respect to every matter of the king.”
22 Heb “Be strong and act!”