2 Chronicles Chapter 19

Other Translations

lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM

1 And Josaphat king of Juda returned to his house at Jerusalem.

2 And there went out to meet him Jeu the prophet the son of Anani, and said to him, King Josaphat, dost thou help a sinner, or act friendly towards one hated of the Lord? Therefore has wrath come upon thee from the Lord.

3 Nevertheless [some] good things have been found in thee, forasmuch as thou didst remove the groves from the land of Juda, and didst direct thine heart to seek after the Lord.

4 And Josaphat dwelt in Jerusalem: and he again went out among the people from Bersabee to the mount of Ephraim, and turned them back to the Lord God of their fathers.

5 And he appointed judges in all the strong cities of Juda, city by city.

6 And he said to the judges, Take good heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, and with you are matters of judgment.

7 And now let the fear of the Lord be upon you, and be wary, and do [your duty]: for there is no unrighteousness with the Lord our God, neither [is it for him] to respect persons, nor to take bribes.

8 Moreover Josaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the priests, and Levites, and heads of houses of Israel, for the judgment of the Lord, and to judge the dwellers in Jerusalem.

9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, in truth and with a perfect heart.

10 Whatsoever man of your brethren that dwell in their cities [shall bring] the cause that comes before you, between blood [and] blood, and between precept and commandment, and ordinances and judgments, ye shall even decide for them; so they shall not sin against the Lord, and there shall not be wrath upon you, and upon your brethren: thus ye shall do, and ye shall not sin.

11 And, behold, Amarias the priest is head over you in every matter of the Lord; and Zabdias the son of Ismael is head over the house of Juda in every matter of the king; and the scribes and Levites are before you: be strong and active, and the Lord shall be with the good.

web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV

1 Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

2 Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked, and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, wrath is on you from before the LORD.

3 Nevertheless there are good things found in you, in that you have put away the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”

4 Jehoshaphat lived at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers.

5 He set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

6 and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you don’t judge for man, but for the LORD; and he is with you in the judgment.

7 Now therefore let the fear of the LORD be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”

8 Moreover in Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed certain Levites, priests, and heads of the fathers’ households of Israel to give judgment for the LORD and for controversies. They returned to Jerusalem.

9 He commanded them, saying, “You shall do this in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

10 Whenever any controversy comes to you from your brothers who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and ordinances, you must warn them, that they not be guilty toward the LORD, and so wrath come on you and on your brothers. Do this, and you will not be guilty.

11 Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king’s matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and may the LORD be with the good.”

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).