14 So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then aAsa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.

Asa Reigns in Judah

2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, 3 for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and bthe 1high places, and cbroke down the sacred pillars dand cut down the wooden images. 4 He commanded Judah to eseek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the 2high 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 the Lord had given him frest. 7 Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, 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 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 3shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew gbows; all these were mighty men of hvalor.

9 iThen Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to jMareshah. 10 So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa kcried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is lnothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and min Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!”

12 So the Lord nstruck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to oGerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much 4spoil. 14 Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for pthe fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much 5spoil in them. 15 They also 6attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.