Yehoshafati Mfalme Wa Yuda
1Yehoshafati mwanawe akawa mfalme baada yake na akajiimarisha dhidi ya Israeli. 217:2 2Nya 15:8; 11:11Akaweka jeshi katika miji yote ya Yuda yenye ngome na kuweka askari walinzi katika Yuda na katika miji ya Efraimu ile ambayo baba yake Asa alikuwa ameiteka.
317:3 Rum 8:31; 1Fal 22:43Bwana Mungu alikuwa na Yehoshafati kwa sababu katika miaka yake ya mwanzoni alienenda katika njia za Daudi baba yake. Hakutafuta Mabaali 417:4 1Fal 12:28; 2Nya 22:9bali alimtafuta Mungu wa baba yake na kuzifuata amri zake badala ya kufuata desturi za watu wa Israeli. 517:5 1Sam 10:27; 2Nya 18:1; 1Fal 10:25-27Kwa hiyo Bwana akauimarisha ufalme chini ya uongozi wake, nao Yuda wote wakamletea Yehoshafati zawadi, hivyo akawa na utajiri mwingi na heshima. 617:6 1Fal 8:61; 2Nya 14:3; 15:17Moyo wake ukawa hodari katika njia za Bwana na zaidi ya yote, akaondoa mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu na nguzo za Maashera katika Yuda.
717:7 Neh 8:7; Mal 2:7; 2Nya 15:3Katika mwaka wa tatu wa utawala wa akatuma maafisa wake ambao ni: Ben-Haili, Obadia, Zekaria, Nethaneli na Mikaya ili kufundisha katika miji ya Yuda. 817:8 Hos 4:6Pamoja nao walikuwepo Walawi fulani nao ni: Shemaya, Nethania, Zebadia, Asaheli, Shemiramothi, Yehonathani, Adoniya, Tobia, Tob-Adonia, pamoja nao walikuwepo makuhani Elishama na Yehoramu. 917:9 Kum 6:4-9; 28:61; Law 10:11; 2Nya 35:3; Neh 8:7; Mal 2:7Wakafundisha Yuda yote, wakiwa wamechukua Kitabu cha Sheria ya Bwana wakazunguka miji yote ya Yuda na kufundisha watu.
1017:10 Mwa 35:5; Kum 2:25; Kut 15:15; 2Nya 14:14Hofu ya Bwana ikawa juu ya falme zote za nchi zilizozunguka Yuda, hivyo hawakufanya vita na Yehoshafati. 1117:11 2Nya 9:14; 26:8; 21:16; 2Sam 8:2Baadhi ya Wafilisti wakamletea Yehoshafati zawadi na fedha kama ushuru, nao Waarabu wakamletea mifugo: kondoo dume 7,700 na mbuzi 7,700.
12Yehoshafati akaendelea kupata nguvu zaidi na zaidi, akajenga ngome na miji ya hazina katika Yuda 13na akawa na wingi mkubwa wa vitu katika miji ya Yuda. Pia aliweka askari wa vita wenye uzoefu huko Yerusalemu. 1417:14 2Sam 24:2Wakaandikishwa katika jamaa zao kama ifuatavyo:
Kutoka Yuda, majemadari wa vikosi vya elfu:
Jemadari Adna akiwa na askari wa vita 300,000;
15aliyefuata ni jemadari Yehohanani, akiwa na askari 280,000 walio tayari kwa vita;
1617:16 Amu 5:9; 1Nya 29:9-17; 2Kor 8:12; Za 110:3aliyefuata ni Amasia mwana wa Zikri, ambaye alijitolea kwa ajili ya kazi ya Bwana, akiwa na askari 200,000.
17Kutoka Benyamini:
Eliada, askari shujaa akiwa na watu 200,000 wenye silaha za nyuta na ngao;
18aliyefuata ni Yehozabadi, akiwa na askari 180,000 wenye silaha za vita.
1917:19 2Nya 25:5; 11:10Hawa ndio waliomtumikia mfalme, mbali na wale mfalme aliweka katika miji yenye ngome huko Yuda yote.
Jehoshaphat King of Judah
1Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. 2He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals 4but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. 5The Lord established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. 6His heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.
7In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. 8With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.
10The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. 11Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
12Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah 13and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem. 14Their enrollment by families was as follows:
From Judah, commanders of units of 1,000:
Adnah the commander, with 300,000 fighting men;
15next, Jehohanan the commander, with 280,000;
16next, Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered himself for the service of the Lord, with 200,000.
17From Benjamin:
Eliada, a valiant soldier, with 200,000 men armed with bows and shields;
18next, Jehozabad, with 180,000 men armed for battle.
19These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.
