| 1 | So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years. |
| 2 | And Asa did [that which was] good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: |
| 3 | For he took away the altars of the strange [gods], and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: |
| 4 | And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. |
| 5 | Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. |
| 6 | And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest. |
| 7 | Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about [them] walls, and towers, gates, and bars, [while] the land [is] yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought [him], and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered. |
| 8 | And Asa had an army [of men] that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these [were] mighty men of valour. |
| 9 | And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. |
| 10 | Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. |
| 11 | And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, [it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail against thee. |
| 12 | So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. |
| 13 | And Asa and the people that [were] with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil. |
| 14 | And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them. |
| 15 | They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem. |
