2 Chronicles 17

¹ Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel.

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

³ The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because in his early years he walked in the ways his father David had followed. He did not consult the Baals

⁴ but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel.

⁵ The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor.

⁶ His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

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

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

⁹ They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat.

¹¹ Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.

¹² Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah

¹³ and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ These are the military units responsible to him, listed according to their ancestral families: From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000: Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;

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

¹⁶ next, Amasiah son of Zichri, who volunteered himself for the service of the LORD, with 200,000.

¹⁷ From Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 armed with bows and shields;

¹⁸ next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 armed for battle.

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