Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

Jehoshaphat begins to reign in Judah and is remembered as a king who walks in Asa’s ways and does what is right in the LORD’s sight. Yet the high places remain, and his reign includes both peace with Israel and the removal of male shrine prostitutes from the land.

I⁴¹n the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah. ⁴²Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. ⁴³And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. ⁴⁴The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. ⁴⁵As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ⁴⁶He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa.

The notice then records Edom’s political arrangement, Jehoshaphat’s failed fleet to Ophir, and his refusal to join Ahaziah’s servants with his own. It ends with his death, burial, and the succession of Jehoram.

⁴⁷And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king. ⁴⁸Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber. ⁴⁹At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused. ⁵⁰And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.