1. Jehoshaphat returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem.
2. But the prophet Jehu son of Hanani met him and said:By helping that wicked Ahab, you have made friends with someone who hates the Lord. Now the Lord God is angry with you!
3. But not everything about you is bad. You destroyed the sacred poles used in worshipping the goddess Asherah—that shows you have tried to obey the Lord.
4. Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he often travelled through his kingdom, from Beersheba in the south to the edge of the hill country of Ephraim in the north. He talked with the people and convinced them to turn back to the Lord God and worship him, just as their ancestors had done.
5. He assigned judges to each of the fortified cities in Judah
6. and told them:Be careful when you make your decisions in court, because these are the Lord's people, and he will know what you decide.
7. So do your work in honour of him and know that he won't allow you to be unfair to anyone or to take bribes.