2 Chronicles 19:1-9

19:1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned home safely to Jerusalem, ¹  19:2 the prophet ²  Jehu son of Hanani confronted him; ³  he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord? ⁴  Because you have done this the Lord is angry with you! ⁵  19:3 Nevertheless you have done some good things; ⁶  you removed ⁷  the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord.” ⁸ 

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

19:4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. ⁹  He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow ¹⁰  the Lord God of their ancestors. ¹¹  19:5 He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah. ¹²  19:6 He told the judges, “Be careful what you do, ¹³  for you are not judging for men, but for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions. 19:7 Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.” ¹⁴ 

19:8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the Lord ¹⁵  and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem. ¹⁶  19:9 He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives. ¹⁷ 

[19:1]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:2]  ² tn Or “seer.”

[19:2]  ³ tn Heb “went out to his face.”

[19:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and love those who hate the Lord?”

[19:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “and because of this upon you is anger from before the Lord.”

[19:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “nevertheless good things are found with you.”

[19:3]  ⁷ tn Here בָּעַר (ba’ar) is not the well attested verb “burn,” but the less common homonym meaning “devastate, sweep away, remove.” See HALOT 146 s.v. II בער.

[19:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “and you set your heart to seek the Lord.”

[19:4]  ⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and turned them back to.”

[19:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “fathers.”

[19:5]  ¹² tn Heb “in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.”

[19:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “see what you are doing.”

[19:7]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and now let the terror of the Lord be upon you, be careful and act for there is not with the Lord our God injustice, lifting up of a face, and taking a bribe.”

[19:8]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for the judgment of the Lord.”

[19:8]  ¹⁶ tc Heb “and to conduct a case [or “for controversy”], and they returned [to] Jerusalem.” Some emend וַיָּשֻׁבוּ (vayyashuvu, “and they returned”) to וַיֵּשְׁבוּ (vayyeshÿvu, “and they lived [in]”). The present translation assumes an emendation to יֹשְׁבֵי (yoshÿvey, “residents of”).

[19:9]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “This you must do with the fear of the Lord, with honesty, and with a complete heart.”