Jehoshaphat Becomes King

17:1 His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king and solidified his rule over Israel.1 17:2 He placed troops in all of Judah’s fortified cities and posted garrisons2 throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.

17:3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor3 David’s footsteps at the beginning of his reign.4 He did not seek the Baals, 17:4 but instead sought the God of his ancestors5 and obeyed6 his commands, unlike the Israelites.7 17:5 The Lord made his kingdom secure;8 all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he became very wealthy and greatly respected.9 17:6 He was committed to following the Lord;10 he even removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

17:7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. 17:8 They were accompanied by the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, and by the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 17:9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the scroll of the law of the Lord. They traveled to all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

17:10 The Lord put fear into all the kingdoms surrounding Judah;11 they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. 17:11 Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat tribute, including a load of silver. The Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.

17:12 Jehoshaphat’s power kept increasing. He built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah. 17:13 He had many supplies stored in the cities of Judah and an army of skilled warriors stationed in Jerusalem.12 17:14 These were their divisions by families:

There were a thousand officers from Judah.13 Adnah the commander led 300,000 skilled warriors, 17:15 Jehochanan the commander led 280,000, 17:16 and Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered to serve the Lord, led 200,000 skilled warriors.

17:17 From Benjamin, Eliada, a skilled warrior, led 200,000 men who were equipped with bows and shields, 17:18 and Jehozabad led 180,000 trained warriors.

17:19 These were the ones who served the king, besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.