| 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 make war with 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 | Their enrollment by families was as follows: 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 Zicri, who volunteered himself for the service of the LORD, with 200,000. | |
| 17 | From Benjamin: Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields; | |
| 18 | next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle. | |
| 19 | These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah. | |