¹ When his son Jehoshaphat succeeded him, he made himself stronger against Israel

² by stationing troops in all the fortified towns in Judah and by garrisoning Judah and the towns of Ephraim which his father Asa had captured.

³ Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father's earlier days and did not have recourse to Baal,

⁴ but sought Yahweh, the God of his father, following his commandments and not behaving as Israel did.

⁵ Because of this, Yahweh put him in secure control of the kingdom, while all Judah gave Jehoshaphat presents until ample riches and honour were his.

⁶ He was so enthusiastic about obeying Yahweh that once again he abolished the high places and sacred poles in Judah.

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

⁸ With them went the Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah and Tobijah, the Levites; Elishama and Jehoram the priests went with them.

⁹ They gave instruction in Judah, having with them the book of the Law of Yahweh, and went round all the towns of Judah instructing the people.

¹⁰ A panic from Yahweh seized all the kings of the countries surrounding Judah, as a result of which they did not make war on Jehoshaphat.

¹¹ Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and a load of silver and the Arabs brought him seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.

¹² Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built fortresses and storage towns in Judah.

¹³ He accumulated ample supplies in the towns of Judah. He also had warriors, outstanding men, in Jerusalem.

¹⁴ According to family, this is how they were classified: Over the commanders of the thousands of Judah was General Adnah, who had three hundred thousand outstanding men;

¹⁵ Under him was General Jehohanan, who had two hundred and eighty thousand;

¹⁶ Under him was Amasiah son of Zichri, who had volunteered for Yahweh and who had two hundred thousand outstanding men;

¹⁷ That outstanding soldier, Eliada, represented Benjamin, and he had two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield;

¹⁸ And under him Jehozabad, who had one hundred and eighty thousand equipped for war.

¹⁹ These were in attendance on the king, apart from those whom the king had stationed in the fortified towns all over Judah.