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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 strange altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim; ⁴ and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the 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 sun–images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. ⁶ And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest. ⁷ For he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; 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 that bare bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: an these were mighty men of valour.

⁹ And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah. ¹⁰ Then Asa went out to meet 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, there is none beside thee to help, between the mighty and him that hath no strength: help us, O LORD our God; for we rely on thee, and in thy name are we come 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 there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much booty. ¹⁴ And they smote all the cities round shout Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them: ¹⁵ They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.