Jehoshaphat King of Judah
1Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa. Jehoshaphat became the next king after him. He made his kingdom strong in case Israel would attack him. 2He placed troops in all the cities of Judah that had high walls around them. He stationed some soldiers in Judah. He also put some in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat. That’s because he lived the way King David had lived. He didn’t ask for advice from the gods that were named Baal. 4Instead, Jehoshaphat obeyed the God of his father. He obeyed the Lord’s commands instead of the practices of Israel. 5The Lord made the kingdom secure under Jehoshaphat’s control. All the people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat. So he had great wealth and honor. 6His heart was committed to living the way the Lord wanted him to. He removed the high places from Judah. He also removed the poles used to worship the female god named Asherah.
7In the third year of his rule, he sent his officials to teach in the towns of Judah. The officials were Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah. 8Some Levites were with them. Their names were Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah. Elishama and Jehoram, the priests, were also with them. 9They taught people all through Judah. They took the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went around to all the towns of Judah. And they taught the people.
10All the kingdoms of the lands around Judah became afraid of the Lord. So they didn’t go to war against Jehoshaphat. 11Some Philistines brought to Jehoshaphat the gifts and silver he required of them. The Arabs brought him their flocks. They brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats.
12Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built forts in Judah. He also built cities in Judah where he could store things. 13He had large supplies in the towns of Judah. In Jerusalem he kept men who knew how to fight well. 14Here is a list of them, family by family.
From Judah there were commanders of groups of 1,000.
One of them was Adnah. He commanded 300,000 fighting men.
15Another was Jehohanan. He commanded 280,000.
16Another was Amasiah, the son of Zikri. Amasiah commanded 200,000. He had offered to serve the Lord.
17From Benjamin there were also commanders.
One of them was Eliada. He was a brave soldier. He commanded 200,000 men. They were armed with bows and shields.
18Another was Jehozabad. He commanded 180,000 men. They were prepared for battle.
19These were the men who served the king. He stationed some other men in the cities all through Judah. The cities had high walls around them.
Yehosafati Mfumu ya Yuda
1Yehosafati mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake ndipo anadzilimbitsa pofuna kulimbana ndi Israeli. 2Iye anayika magulu a asilikali mʼmizinda yonse yotetezedwa ya Yuda, ndipo anamanga maboma mu Yuda ndi mʼmizinda yonse ya Efereimu imene Asa abambo ake analanda.
3Yehova anali ndi Yehosafati chifukwa mʼzaka zoyambirira anatsatira makhalidwe a Davide abambo ake. Iye sanafunsire kwa Abaala. 4Koma anafunafuna Mulungu wa abambo ake ndipo anatsatira malamulo ake osati zochita za Israeli. 5Yehova anakhazikitsa kolimba ufumuwo mʼmanja mwake ndipo Ayuda onse anabweretsa mphatso kwa Yehosafati, kotero kuti anali ndi chuma ndi ulemu wambiri. 6Mtima wake anawupereka kutsatira Yehova, kuwonjezera apo, anachotsa malo onse achipembedzo ndi mafano a Asera mu Yuda.
7Mʼchaka chachitatu cha ufumu wake, iye anatuma akuluakulu ake Beni-Haili, Obadiya, Zekariya, Netaneli ndi Mikaya kukaphunzitsa mʼmizinda ya Yuda. 8Pamodzi ndi iwo panali Alevi ena: Semaya, Netaniya, Zebadiya, Asaheli, Semiramoti, Yonatani, Adoniya, Tobiya ndi Tobu-Adoniya ndiponso ansembe Elisama ndi Yehoramu. 9Iwo anaphunzitsa mu Yuda monse atatenga Buku la Malamulo a Yehova iwo anayenda mʼmizinda yonse ya ku Yuda ndipo anaphunzitsa anthu.
10Kuopsa kwa Yehova kunali pa maufumu onse a mayiko oyandikana ndi Yuda, kotero kuti sanachite nkhondo ndi Yehosafati. 11Afilisti ena anabweretsa kwa Yehosafati mphatso ndi siliva ngati msonkho, ndipo Aarabu anabweretsa ziweto: nkhosa zazimuna 7,700 ndi mbuzi 7,700.
12Mphamvu za Yehosafati zinkakulirakulira. Iye anamanga malo otetezedwa ndi mizinda yosungiramo chuma mu Yuda 13ndipo anali ndi katundu wambiri mʼmizinda ya Yuda. Iye anayikanso asilikali odziwa bwino nkhondo mu Yerusalemu. 14Chiwerengero chawo potsata mabanja awo chinali chotere:
kuchokera ku Yuda, atsogoleri a magulu 1,000;
mtsogoleri Adina, anali ndi anthu 300,000 odziwa nkhondo;
15otsatana naye, mtsogoleri Yehohanani, anali ndi anthu 280,000;
16otsatana naye, Amasiya mwana wa Zikiri amene anadzipereka yekha kutumikira Yehova, anali ndi anthu 200,000.
17Kuchokera ku Benjamini:
Eliada, msilikali wolimba mtima, anali ndi anthu 200,000 amene anali ndi mauta ndi zishango;
18otsatana naye, Yehozabadi, anali ndi anthu 180,000 okonzekera nkhondo.
19Awa ndi anthu amene ankatumikira mfumu osawerengera amene anawayika mʼmizinda yotetezedwa mʼdziko lonse la Yuda.
