3. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, who lived in the old way like his ancestor David. Jehoshaphat didn’t dedicate his life to serving other gods—the Baals.
4. Instead, he dedicated his life to his ancestor’s God and lived by God’s commands. Jehoshaphat did not do what Israel was doing.
5. So the Lord established Jehoshaphat’s power over the kingdom. All the people of Judah gave gifts to Jehoshaphat, and he had a lot of riches and honor.
6. He had the confidence to live the way the Lord wanted him to live. He also got rid of the illegal places of worship and poles dedicated to the goddess Asherah in Judah.
7. In the third year of his reign, he sent his officers Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah.
8. With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, Tob Adonijah, and the priests Elishama and Jehoram.
9. They taught in Judah. They had the Book of the Lord’s Teachings with them when they taught the people in all the cities of Judah.
10. Fear of the Lord came to all the kingdoms around Judah. As a result, they didn’t wage war against Jehoshaphat.
11. Some of the Philistines brought gifts and silver as taxes. The Arabs also brought him flocks: 7,700 rams and 7,700 male goats.
12. So Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful. He built fortresses and cities where supplies were stored in Judah.
13. He had large supplies of food in the cities of Judah and an army of professional soldiers with him in Jerusalem.