CHAPTER 19

¹And Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. ²And Jehu the seer son of Hanani went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Would you aid the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? For this there is fury against you from before the LORD. ³Yet good things are found with you, for you rooted out the cultic poles from the land and readied your heart to seek God.” ⁴And Jehoshaphat dwelled in Jerusalem, and he went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and led them back to the LORD God of their fathers. ⁵And he stationed judges in the land in all the fortified towns of Judah, in every single town. ⁶And he said to the judges, “See to what you are doing, for not for the sake of humankind do you judge but for the sake of the LORD, and He is with you in matters of judgment. ⁷And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Watch and do, for there is no injustice or favoritism or bribe taking with the LORD our God.” ⁸And in Jerusalem as well Jehoshaphat stationed the Levites and the priests and some of the patriarchal chiefs of Israel for the LORD’s judgment and for disputes. And they came back to Jerusalem. ⁹And he charged them, saying, “Thus shall you do—in the fear of the LORD, in good faith, and with a whole heart. ¹⁰And any dispute that may come to you from your brothers dwelling in their towns, whether about bloodshed or about the teaching, the commands, the statutes, or the laws, you shall warn them so that they do not incur guilt to the LORD and fury come upon you and your brothers. Thus shall you do and you shall not incur guilt. ¹¹And, look, Amariah the high priest is over you for every matter of the LORD and Zebadiah son of Ishmael the prince of the house of Judah for every matter of the king, and the Levites are before you. Act firmly, and may the LORD be with him who is good.”