1So 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 had rest for ten years. 2And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God. 3He took away the foreign altars and the high places, and broke down the pillars and hewed down the Asherim, 4and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment. 5He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him. 6He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for Yahweh gave him peace. 7And 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 Yahweh our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side." So they built and prospered. 8And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with bucklers and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand men from Benjamin, that carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor.
9Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11And Asa cried to Yahweh his God, " O Yahweh, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, you are our God; let not man prevail against you." 12So Yahweh defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13Asa and the people that were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive; for they were broken before Yahweh and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much booty. 14And they smote all the cities round about Gerar, for the fear of Yahweh was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15And they smote the tents of those who had cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
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