| 1 | So Abijah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. His son Asa succeeded him. In his days the land had rest for ten years. |
| 2 | Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God. |
| 3 | He took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, hewed down the sacred poles, |
| 4 | and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to keep the law and the commandment. |
| 5 | He also removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. |
| 6 | He built fortified cities in Judah while the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the LORD gave him peace. |
| 7 | He said to Judah, “Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars; the land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered. |
| 8 | Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand troops from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty warriors. |
| 9 | Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. |
| 10 | Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. |
| 11 | Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is no difference for you between helping the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let no mortal prevail against you.” |
| 12 | So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. |
| 13 | Asa and the army with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until no one remained alive; for they were broken before the LORD and his army. The people of Judah carried away a great quantity of booty. |
| 14 | They defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD was on them. They plundered all the cities; for there was much plunder in them. |
| 15 | They also attacked the tents of those who had livestock, and carried away sheep and goats in abundance, and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. |
