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¹ So Aviyah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years. ² Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: ³ for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim, ⁴ and commanded Yehudah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the mitzvah. ⁵ Also he took away out of all the cities of Yehudah the high places and the sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. ⁶ He built fortified cities in Yehudah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest. ⁷ For he said to Yehudah, 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 has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered. ⁸ Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Yehudah three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.

⁹ There came out against them Zerach the Kushite with an army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah. ¹⁰ Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Tzefatah at Mareshah. ¹¹ Asa cried to the LORD his God, and said, LORD, there is none besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength: help us, LORD our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. LORD, you are our God; don't let man prevail against you. ¹² So the LORD struck the Kushim before Asa, and before Yehudah; and the Kushim fled. ¹³ Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and there fell of the Kushim 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 They struck all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came on them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them. ¹⁵ They struck also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Yerushalayim.