1 Then Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel.
2 And he placed 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 taken.
3 And Jehovah was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals,
4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the deeds of Israel.
5 Therefore Jehovah established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.
6 And his heart was exalted in the ways of Jehovah; moreover he removed the high places and groves out of Judah.
7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his rulers, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.
8 And with them he sent Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests.
9 So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of Jehovah with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.
10 And the fear of Jehovah was on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat.
11 Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute of silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats.
12 So Jehoshaphat went on to become highly magnified, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah.
13 He had much property in the cities of Judah; and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem.
14 These are their numbers, according to their fathers houses. Of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valor;
15 and next to him was Jehohanan the commander, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand;
16 and next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto Jehovah, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.
17 Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield;
18 and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him one hundred and eighty thousand prepared for war.
19 These served the king, besides those the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
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.