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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 iris stead, - in his days, the land rested ten years.² And Asa did that which was good and that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh his God;³ and took away the foreign altars, and the high places, - and brake in pieces the pillars, and cut in twain the Sacred Stems;⁴ and bade Judah seek Yahweh, God of their fathers,-and execute the law, and the commandment;⁵ and removed from all the cities of Judah, the high places, and the sun-images, - and the kingdom became quiet before him.⁶ And he built cities of defence, in Judah, - for the land had quiet, nor was there near him any war, in these years, because Yahweh had given him rest.⁷ Therefore said he to Judah, Let us build these cities, and let us surround them with walls and towers, doors and bars, while the land is yet before us, for we have sought Yahweh our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built, and prospered.⁸ And it came to pass that, Asa, had a force bearing shield and spear, out of Judah, three hundred thousand, and, out of Benjamin, such as bare a buckler and trode a bow, two hundred and eighty thousand, - all these, were heroes of valour.

⁹ Then came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian, with a force of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots, - and he came as far as Mareshah.¹⁰ And Asa went out to meet him, - and they set in array for battle, in the valley of Zaphonah, at Mareshah.¹¹ Then Asa cried out unto Yahweh his God, and said, O Yahweh, it is, nothing with thee, to help whether with many or with such as have no strength. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for, on thee, do we lean, and, in thy name, have we come against this multitude, - O Yahweh! our God, thou art, let not, weak man, have power against thee.¹² So Yahweh smote the Ethiopians, before Asa, and before Judah, - and the Ethiopians fled.¹³ And Asa and the people that were with him pursued as far as to Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell, so that there was no way for them to recover, for they were routed before Yahweh, and before him host, - and they carried away exceeding much spoil.¹⁴ And they smote all the cities round shout Gerar, for the dread of Yahweh was upon them, - and they plundered all the cities, for, great plunder, was there in them.¹⁵ Moreover also, the tents of the cattle, they smote, - and carried off sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.