Jehoshaphat
1 His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him and strengthened his position against Israel.
2 He put troops in all the fortified towns in Judah, and appointed governors in the land of Judah and in all the towns of Ephraim captured by his father Asa.
3 Yahweh blessed Jehoshaphat be cause he followed the example of David his father and did not worship Baal;
4 he served the God of his father, following his commandments and not following the example of Israel.
5 So Yahweh made the kingship secure in his hands; all the people of Judah brought gifts to Jeho shaphat, and ample riches and honor were his.
6 He took pride in serving Yahweh and destroyed all the High places and Ashe rah’s trunks in Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officers: Benhail, Obadiah, Zecha riah, Nethanel and Micaiah, to give instruction in the towns of Judah.
8 With them went the Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zeba diah, Asaherel, Shemiramoth, Jehona than, Adonijah and Tobijah, the Levites, together with the priests, Elishama and Jehoram.
9 They gave instruction in Judah, having with them the book of the Law of Yahweh, and went around all the towns of Judah instructing the people.
10 The fear of Yahweh came upon all the kingdoms surrounding Judah, so that they did not war against Jehosha phat.
11 Some of the Philistines brought him gifts and silver in tribute; the Arabs themselves brought him, in small stock, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.
12 Jeho shaphat became more and more powerful. Throughout Judah he built fortresses and towns with storage places.
13 He had many workers in the towns of Judah and a garrison of outstanding officers in Jerusalem.
14 This was their disposition by families: for Judah, commanders of thousands; Adnah, the commanding officer, with three hundred thousand outstanding officers under his command,
15 Jehohanan with two hundred and eighty thousand;
16 Amasiah son of Zichri, who had volunteered for Yahweh’s service, with two hundred thousand valiant warriors.
17 From Benjamin: the valiant warrior Eliada with two hundred thousand, armed with bow and shield:
18 under his command, Jehozabad with a hundred and eighty thousand equipped for war.
19 These were the men who served the king, not counting those the king had put in the fortified towns throughout Judah.