« | 2 Chronicles 17 | » |
1 Asa's son Jehoshaphat was the next king; he started out by working on his defense system against Israel.
2 He put troops in all the fortress cities of Judah and deployed garrisons throughout Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
3 GOD was on Jehoshaphat's side because he stuck to the ways of his father Asa's early years. He didn't fool around with the popular Baal religion--
4 he was a seeker and follower of the God of his father and was obedient to him; he wasn't like Israel.
5 And GOD secured the kingdom under his rule, gave him a firm grip on it. And everyone in Judah showed their appreciation by bringing gifts. Jehoshaphat ended up very rich and much honored.
6 He was single-minded in following GOD; and he got rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials--excellent men, every one of them--Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah on a teaching mission to the cities of Judah.
8 They were accompanied by Levites--Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; the priests Elishama and Jehoram were also in the company.
9 They made a circuit of the towns of Judah, teaching the people and using the Book of The Revelation of GOD as their text.
10 There was a strong sense of the fear of GOD in all the kingdoms around Judah--they didn't dare go to war against Jehoshaphat.
11 Some Philistines even brought gifts and a load of silver to Jehoshaphat, and the desert bedouin brought flocks--7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.
12 So Jehoshaphat became stronger by the day, and constructed more and more forts and store-cities--an age of prosperity for Judah!
13 He also had excellent fighting men stationed in Jerusalem.
14 The captains of the military units of Judah, classified according to families, were: Captain Adnah with 300,000 soldiers;
15 his associate Captain Jehohanan with 280,000;
16 his associate Amasiah son of Zicri, a volunteer for GOD, with 200,000.
17 Officer Eliada represented Benjamin with 200,000 fully equipped with bow and shield;
18 and his associate was Jehozabad with 180,000 armed and ready for battle.
19 These were under the direct command of the king; in addition there were the troops assigned to the fortress cities spread all over Judah.
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