1 Josafá, filho de Asa, foi o seu sucessor e fortaleceu-se contra Israel.
2 Posicionou tropas em todas as cidades fortificadas de Judá e pôs guarnições em Judá e nas cidades de Efraim que seu pai, Asa, tinha conquistado.
3 O Senhor esteve com Josafá porque, em seus primeiros anos, ele andou nos caminhos que seu pai Davi tinha seguido. Não consultou os baalins,
4 mas buscou o Deus de seu pai e obedeceu aos seus mandamentos, e não imitou as práticas de Israel.
5 O Senhor firmou o reino de Josafá, e todo o Judá lhe trazia presentes, de maneira que teve grande riqueza e honra.
6 Ele seguiu corajosamente os caminhos do Senhor; além disso, retirou de Judá os altares idólatras e os postes sagrados.
7 No terceiro ano de seu reinado, ele enviou seus oficiais Bene-Hail, Obadias, Zacarias, Natanael e Micaías para ensinarem nas cidades de Judá.
8 Com eles foram os levitas Semaías, Netanias, Zebadias, Asael, Semiramote, Jônatas, Adonias, Tobias, Tobe-Adonias e os sacerdotes Elisama e Jeorão.
9 Eles percorreram todas as cidades do reino de Judá, levando consigo o Livro da Lei do Senhor e ensinando o povo.
10 O temor do Senhor caiu sobre todos os reinos ao redor de Judá, de forma que não entraram em guerra contra Josafá.
11 Alguns filisteus levaram presentes a Josafá, além da prata que lhe deram como tributo, e os árabes levaram-lhe rebanhos: sete mil e setecentos carneiros e sete mil e setecentos bodes.
12 Josafá foi se tornando cada vez mais poderoso; construiu fortalezas e cidades-armazéns em Judá,
13 onde guardava enorme quantidade de suprimentos. Também mantinha em Jerusalém homens de combate experientes.
14 A lista desses homens, por famílias, era a seguinte: De Judá, líderes de batalhões de 1. 000: o líder Adna, com 300. 000 homens de combate;
15 em seguida, o líder Joanã, com 280. 000;
16 depois, Amasias, filho de Zicri, que se apresentou voluntariamente para o serviço do Senhor, com 200. 000.
17 De Benjamim: Eliada, um guerreiro valente, com 200. 000 homens armados com arcos e escudos;
18 Jeozabade, com 180. 000 homens armados para a batalha.
19 Esses eram os homens que serviam o rei, além dos que estavam posicionados nas cidades fortificadas em todo o Judá.
1 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead,and strengthened himself against Israel;
2 and put forces in all the fortified cities of Judah,and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had captured.
3 And it came to pass, that, Yahweh, was with Jehoshaphat,because he walked in the first ways of David his father, and sought not unto the Baalim;
4 for, unto the God of his father, he sought, and, in his commandments, he walked,and not according to the doing of Israel.
5 Therefore did Yahweh establish the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah gave a present unto Jehoshaphat,and he came to have riches and honour, in abundance.
6 And his heart was encouraged, in the ways of Yahweh,and he, yet further, took away the high places and the Sacred Stems, out of Judah.
7 And, in the third year of his reign, he sent to his rulers, even to Ben-hail and to Obadiah and to Zechariah, and to Nethanel, and to Micaiah,that they were to teach throughout the cities of Judah;
8 and, with them, Levites, Shemaiah and Nethaniah and Zebadiah and Asahel and Shemiramoth and Jehonathan, and Adonijah and Tobijah and Tob-adonijah, Levites,and, with them, Elishama and Jehoram, priests;
9 and they taught throughout Judah, and, with them, was the book of the law of Yahweh,so they went round throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
10 And it came to pass, that, the dread of Yahweh, was upon all the kingdoms of the countries, that were round about Judah,and they warred not against Jehoshaphat.
11 And, from among the Philistines, were they bringing in unto Jehoshaphat a present, and silver as tribute,even the Arabians, were bringing in unto him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.
12 And so it came to pass that, Jehoshaphat, went on waxing surpassingly great,and he built, throughout Judah, fortresses and cities for store;
13 and, much business, had he, throughout the cities of Judah,but, the men of war, the heroes of valour, were in Jerusalem.
14 And, these, are the numbers of them, by their ancestral house,To Judah, pertained rulers of thousands, Adnah the chief, and, with him, mighty men of valour, three hundred thousand;
15 and, under his direction, was Jehohanan the chief,and, with him, two hundred and eighty thousand;
16 and, under his direction, Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto Yahweh,and, with him, two hundred thousand heroes of valour.
17 And, out of Benjamin, a hero of valour, Eliada,and, with him, armed with bow and buckler, two hundred thousand;
18 and, under his direction, Jehozabad,and, with him, a hundred and eighty thousand, equipped for war.
19 These, were they who were waiting upon the king,besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities, throughout all Judah.