17Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa. Jehoshaphat became the next king after him. He made his kingdom strong in case Israel would attack him. ²He placed troops in all of the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. He stationed some soldiers in Judah. He also put some in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

³The Lord was with Jehoshaphat. That’s because in his early years he lived the way King David had lived. He didn’t ask for advice from the gods that were named after Baal. ⁴Instead, he looked to the God of his father. He followed the Lord’s commands instead of the practices of Israel.

⁵The Lord made the kingdom secure under Jehoshaphat’s control. All of the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat. So he had great wealth and honor. ⁶His heart was committed to living the way the Lord wanted him to. He removed the high places from Judah. He also removed the poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah.

⁷In the third year of his rule, he sent his officials to teach in the towns of Judah. The officials were Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah. ⁸Some Levites were with them. Their names were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah. The priests Elishama and Jehoram were also with them. ⁹They taught people all through Judah. They took the Scroll of the Law of the Lord with them. They went around to all of the towns of Judah. And they taught the people.

¹⁰All of the kingdoms of the lands around Judah became afraid of the Lord. So they didn’t go to war against Jehoshaphat.

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