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¹ And Abijah lay with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years.² And Asa did the good and the right in the eyes of Jehovah his God.³ And he removed the altars of the alien, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherahs.⁴ And he commanded Judah to seek Jehovah the God of their fathers, and to do the Law and the commandment.⁵ And he removed the high places and the images out of all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was quiet before him.⁶ And he built fenced cities in Judah, for the land had quiet. And there was no war with him in these years, because Jehovah had given him rest.⁷ And he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and walls around them , and towers, two leaved gates, and bars, while the land is before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God.We have sought, and He has given rest to usall around. And they built and prospered.⁸ And Asa had an army bearing bucklers and spears three hundred thousand out of Judah, and two hundred eighty thousand out of Benjamin, bearing shields and drawing bows; all these were mighty men of valor.

⁹ And Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a thousand thousands, and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah.¹⁰ And Asa went out before him and they set the battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.¹¹ And Asa called to Jehovah his God, and said, O Jehovah, it is nothing to You to help between the mighty and him with no strength. Help us, O Jehovah our God; for we rest on You, and in Your name we come against this host. O Jehovah, You areour God. Do not let man hold out against You.¹² And Jehovah struck the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah. And the Ethiopians fled.¹³ And Asa and the people with him pursued them even to Gerar. And all of the Ethiopians fell, for there was not one left alive to them; because they had broken before Jehovah, and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder.¹⁴ And they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of Jehovah had come on them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was much booty in them.¹⁵ And also they struck the tents of cattle, and they captured sheep and camels in abundance. And they returned to Jerusalem.