King Jehoshaphat of Judah
1 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king and strengthened his defenses against Israel. 2 He assigned troops to the fortified cities in Judah, as well as to other towns in Judah and to those towns in Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
3-4 When Jehoshaphat's father had first become king of Judah, he was faithful to the Lord and refused to worship the god Baal as the kings of Israel did. Jehoshaphat followed his father's example and obeyed and worshiped the Lord. And so the Lord blessed Jehoshaphat 5 and helped him keep firm control of his kingdom. The people of Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, but even after he became very rich and respected, 6 he remained completely faithful to the Lord. He destroyed all the local shrines in Judah, including the places where the goddess Asherah was worshiped.
7 In the third year of Jehoshaphat's rule, he chose five officials and gave them orders to teach the Lord's Law in every city and town in Judah. They were Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. 8 Their assistants were the following nine Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah. Two priests, Elishama and Jehoram, also went along. 9 They carried with them a copy of the Lord's Law wherever they went and taught the people from it.
10 The nations around Judah were afraid of the Lord's power, so none of them attacked Jehoshaphat. 11 Philistines brought him silver and other gifts to keep peace. Some of the Arab people brought him 7,700 rams and the same number of goats.
12 As Jehoshaphat became more powerful, he built fortresses and cities 13 where he stored supplies. He also kept in Jerusalem some experienced soldiers 14 from the Judah and Benjamin tribes. These soldiers were grouped according to their clans.
Adnah was the commander of the troops from Judah, and he had 300,000 soldiers under his command. 15 Jehohanan was second in command, with 280,000 soldiers under him. 16 Amasiah son of Zichri, who had volunteered to serve the Lord, was third in command, with 200,000 soldiers under him.
17 Eliada was a brave warrior who commanded the troops from Benjamin. He had 200,000 soldiers under his command, all of them armed with bows and shields. 18 Jehozabad was second in command, with 180,000 soldiers under him. 19 These were the troops who protected the king in Jerusalem, not counting those he had assigned to the fortified cities throughout the country.
Jehoshafati unobe mambo
1 Jehoshafati nkololo uwe kagala Asa thaka, ngono kazwisimisa kubhayana ne Iziraela, ngono kasimisa zwitoropo mu Baiziraela. 2 Kabiga babhayani mu matizhilo e mizi mikulu ye Juda kabiga gupo le babhayani mu shango ye Juda ne mizi mikulu ye Ifureimi yakabe yatapiwa ndi Asa tate babe. 3 Yahwe bakabe bana Jehoshafati ngoti wakabe eyenda mu zila dze kutanga dza tate babe kakale asinga namate bo Bhaale, 4 koga iye wakashaka Ndzimu wa tate babe e bhulutana ndayo dzawo asingatobele zila yakatobegwa ndi bomambo be Iziraela. 5 Ndizo Yahwe bakapa Jehoshafati simba mu mbuso uwe ngono bathu be Juda bakadusila Jehoshafati zwipo ngono kabe ne fumwa isishoma ne kutetiwa kukulu. 6 Moyo uwe wakabe wakasima mu zila dza Yahwe kakale kakolomodza magalo wose akabe ethigamigwa midzimu ne zwifaniso zwe ndzimukadzi Ashera mu Juda.
7 Mu gole le butatu le mbuso uwe Jehoshafati katuma makombgwa awe bo Bhenihaili na Obadiya na Zekariya na Nethanele na Mikaya kuti banodiya ku mizi mikulu ye Juda. 8 Bakabe bana Balevi bo Shemaya na Nathaniya na Zebadiya na Asaheli na Shemiramoti na Johonathani na Adonija na Tobija na Tobadonija ne Balevi ibaba, bapirisiti bakabe bali bo Elishama na Jehoramu. 9 Bakabe bediya mu Juda, bakabe beyenda bakabhata lukwalo gwe nlayo wa Yahwe beyenda mizi mikulu yose ye Juda bediya bathu.
Bukulu gwa Jehoshafati
10 Ngono kutja Yahwe kukabe mu mibuso yose ye shango yakabe yakapoteleka Juda, ngono bakasigwe na Jehoshafati. 11 Bamwe be Bafilisitiya bakazhisila Jehoshafati zwipo ne siliva ne Baarabhu bakan'zhisila nyundo dzili zwiwulu zwili kutendeka ne mazana ali kutendeka (7 700) ne phoko dzili mazana ali kutendeka (700). 12 Ndizo Jehoshafati masimba awe kabe akabhata ekula. Kabaka matizhilo mu Juda ne mizi mikulu ye mabiganyilo. 13 Kabe ne mabiganyilo makulu mu mizi mikulu ye Juda kakale kabe ne babhayani, balume bakasima moyo mu Jerusalema, 14 bakalongolosiwa kuyenda nge misha yabo, kudwa muna Juda kwakabe kuli balauli be babhayani bali tjiwulu (1 000) ne Adina we nlauli wakabe ana babhayani bali zwiwulu zwili mazana ali matatu (300 000) zwe balume bakazwimisila ngwa. 15 Kudwapo kutobela Jehohanani nlauli we bali zwiwulu zwili mazana mabili ana makumi ali zhanakadzi (280 000), 16 kudwapo kuti Amasiya nkololo wa Zikiri iye ana babhayani bali zwiwulu zwili mazana mabili (200 000), Amasani iye wakabe azwishalula kuti unowoshingila Yahwe. 17 Nlauli we babhayani be nsha wa Bhenjamini yakabe ili Eliyada nlume wakasima elaula babhayani bali zwiwulu zwili mazana mabili (200 000) e balume bamile zubuyanana bakashakatila zwivikisi ne matati. 18 Wakabe etobegwa ndi Jehozabadi iye akatungamila babhayani bali zwiwulu zwili zana lina bali makumi ali zhanakadzi (180 000) bakazwilulwamisila ngwa. 19 Balume ibaba bakabe beshingila mambo kusingabaligwe ibabo bakabe bakabigwa ndi mambo mu mizi mikulu ye matizhilo mu Juda yose.