1 So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. ThenAsa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.
Asa Reigns in Judah
2 Asa didwhatwasgood and right in the eyes of theLordhis God,
3 for he removed the altars of the foreigngodsandthe high places, andbroke down thesacredpillarsand cut down the wooden images.
4 He commanded Judah toseek theLordGod of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.
5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him.
6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because theLordhad given himrest.
7 Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls aroundthem,and towers, gates, and bars,whilethe landisyet before us, because we have sought theLordour God; we have soughtHim,and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
8 And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drewbows; all theseweremighty men ofvalor.
9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came toMareshah.
10 So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asacried out to theLordhis God, and said, “Lord,itisnothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, OLordour God, for we rest on You, andin Your name we go against this multitude. OLord, Youareour God; do not let man prevail against You!”
12 So theLordstruck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
13 And Asa and the people whowerewith him pursued them toGerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before theLordand His army. And they carried away very much spoil.
14 Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, forthe fear of theLordcame upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much spoil in them.
15 They also attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.