1 And Iehosphat his sonne reigned in his steade, and preuailed against Israel. 2 And he put garisons in all the strong cities of Iudah, and set bandes in the lande of Iudah and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. 3 And the Lord was with Iehoshaphat, because he walked in the first wayes of his father Dauid, and sought not Baalim, 4 But sought the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandements, and not after the trade of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdome in his hande, and all Iudah brought presents to Iehoshaphat, so that he had of riches and honour in abundance. 6 And he lift vp his heart vnto the wayes of the Lord, and he tooke away moreouer the hie places and the groues out of Iudah. 7 And in the thirde yere of his reigne he sent his princes, Ben-hail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethaneel, and Michaiah, that they should teach in the cities of Iudah, 8 And with them Leuites, Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Iehonathan, and Adoniiah, and Tobiiah, and Tob-adoniiah, Leuites, and with the Elishama and Iehoram Priestes. 9 And they taught in Iudah, and had the booke of the Lawe of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Iudah, and taught the people. 10 And the feare of the Lord fell vpon all the kingdomes of ye lands that were round about Iudah, and they fought not against Iehoshaphat. 11 Also some of the Philistims brought Iehoshaphat giftes and tribute siluer, and the Arabians brought him flockes, seuen thousande and seuen hundreth rammes, and seuen thousande and seuen hundreth hee goates. 12 So Iehoshaphat prospered and grewe vp on hie: and he built in Iudah palaces and cities of store. 13 And he had great workes in the cities of Iudah, and men of warre, and valiant men in Ierusalem. 14 And these are the nombers of them after the house of their fathers, In Iudah were captaines of thousands, Adnah the captaine, and with him of valiant men three hundreth thousande. 15 And at his hande Iehohanan a captaine, and with him two hundreth and fourescore thousande. 16 And at his hande Amasiah the sonne of Zichri, which willingly offered him selfe vnto the Lord, and with him two hundreth thousand valiant men. 17 And of Beniamin, Eliada a valiant man, and with him armed men with bowe and shielde two hundreth thousand. 18 And at his hand Iehozabad, and with him an hundreth and fourescore thousand armed to the warre. 19 These waited on the King, besides those which the King put in the strong cities thoroughout all Iudah.
Jehoshaphat Becomes King
1 Jehoshaphat succeeded his father Asa as king and strengthened his position against Israel. 2 He stationed troops in the fortified cities of Judah, in the Judean countryside, and in the cities which Asa had captured in the territory of Ephraim. 3 The Lord blessed Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father's early life and did not worship Baal. 4 He served his father's God, obeyed God's commands, and did not act the way the kings of Israel did. 5 The Lord gave Jehoshaphat firm control over the kingdom of Judah, and all the people brought him gifts, so that he became wealthy and highly honored. 6 He took pride in serving the Lord and destroyed all the pagan places of worship and the symbols of the goddess Asherah in Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent out the following officials to teach in the cities of Judah: Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. 8 They were accompanied by nine Levites and two priests. The Levites were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and the priests were Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They took the book of the Law of the Lord and went through all the towns of Judah, teaching it to the people.
Jehoshaphat's Greatness
10 The Lord made all the surrounding kingdoms afraid to go to war against King Jehoshaphat. 11 Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat a large amount of silver and other gifts, and some Arabs brought him 7,700 sheep and 7,700 goats. 12 So Jehoshaphat continued to grow more and more powerful. Throughout Judah he built fortifications and cities, 13 where supplies were stored in huge amounts.
In Jerusalem he stationed outstanding officers, 14 according to their clans. Adnah was the commander of the troops from the clans of Judah, and he had 300,000 soldiers under him. 15 Second in rank was Jehohanan, with 280,000 soldiers, 16 and third was Amasiah son of Zichri, with 200,000. (Amasiah had volunteered to serve the Lord.) 17 The commander of the troops from the clans of Benjamin was Eliada, an outstanding soldier, in command of 200,000 men armed with shields and bows. 18 His second in command was Jehozabad with 180,000 men, well-equipped for battle. 19 These soldiers served the king in Jerusalem, and in addition he stationed others in the other fortified cities of Judah.