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.
02 And Asa did that which was good and right in
the eyes of the Lord his God:
03 For he took away the altars of the strange
gods, and the high places, and brake down the
images, and cut down the groves:
04 And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of
their fathers, and to do the law and the
commandment.
05 Also he took away out of all the cities of
Judah the high places and the images: and the
kingdom was quiet before him.
06 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.
07 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.
08 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.
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09 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 no 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.
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