Discovery Box2 Chronicles 19:3-11 
Context19:3 Nevertheless you have done some good things; 1 you removed 2 the Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord.” 3
19:4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. 4 He went out among the people from Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow 5 the Lord God of their ancestors. 6 19:5 He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 7 19:6 He told the judges, “Be careful what you do, 8 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.” 9
19:8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the Lord 10 and to settle disputes among the residents of Jerusalem. 11 19:9 He commanded them: “Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with pure motives. 12 19:10 Whenever your countrymen who live in the cities bring a case before you 13 (whether it involves a violent crime 14 or other matters related to the law, commandments, rules, and regulations), warn them that they must not sin against the Lord. If you fail to do so, God will be angry with you and your colleagues; but if you obey, you will be free of guilt. 15 19:11 You will report to Amariah the chief priest in all matters pertaining to the Lord’s law, and to Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the family of Judah, in all matters pertaining to the king. 16 The Levites will serve as officials before you. Confidently carry out your duties! 17 May the Lord be with those who do well!”
1 tn Heb “nevertheless good things are found with you.”
2 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.
3 tn Heb “and you set your heart to seek the
4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
5 tn Heb “and turned them back to.”
6 tn Heb “fathers.”
7 tn Heb “in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city.”
8 tn Heb “see what you are doing.”
9 tn Heb “and now let the terror of the
10 tn Heb “for the judgment of the
11 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”).
12 tn Heb “This you must do with the fear of the
13 tn Heb “and every case which comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities.”
14 tn Heb “between blood pertaining to blood.”
15 tn Heb “and anger will be upon you and your brothers; do this and you will not be guilty.”
16 tn Heb “and look, Amariah the chief priest is over you with respect to every matter of the
17 tn Heb “Be strong and act!”
