2 Chronicles 17

₁Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. ₂He 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.

₃The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals ₄but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. ₅The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honour. ₆His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

₇In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. ₈With them were certain Levites – Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah – and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ₉They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went round to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

₁₀The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. ₁₁Some 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.

₁₂Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah ₁₃and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. ₁₄Their enrolment by families was as follows: