2 Chronicles 17

¹Jehoshʹaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. ²He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Eʹphraim which Asa his father had taken. ³The Lord was with Jehoshʹaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father; he did not seek the Baʹals, ⁴but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the ways of Israel. ⁵Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshʹaphat; and he had great riches and honor. ⁶His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord; and furthermore he took the high places and the Asheʹrim out of Judah.

⁷In the third year of his reign he sent his princes, Ben-hail, Obadiʹah, Zechariʹah, Nethanʹel, and Micaiʹah, to teach in the cities of Judah; ⁸and with them the Levites, Shemaiʹah, Nethaniʹah, Zebadiʹah, Asʹahel, Shemiʹramoth, Jehonʹathan, Adoniʹjah, Tobiʹjah, and Tobadoniʹjah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishʹama and Jehoʹram. ⁹And they taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; they went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

¹⁰And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshʹaphat. ¹¹Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshʹaphat presents, and silver for tribute; and the Arabs also brought him seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats. ¹²And Jehoshʹaphat grew steadily greater. He built in Judah fortresses and store-cities, ¹³and he had great stores in the cities of Judah. He had soldiers, mighty men of valor, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴This was the muster of them by fathers’ houses: Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, with three hundred thousand mighty men of valor, ¹⁵and next to him Jehohaʹnan the commander, with two hundred and eighty thousand, ¹⁶and next to him Amasiʹah the son of Zichri, a volunteer for the service of the Lord, with two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. ¹⁷Of Benjamin: Eliʹada, a mighty man of valor, with two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield, ¹⁸and next to him Jehoʹzabad with a hundred and eighty thousand armed for war. ¹⁹These were in the service of the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.