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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 altars of the strange [gods], and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the groves:⁴ And commanded Judah to seek the LORD 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 images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.⁶ And he built fortified cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.⁷ Therefore he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about [them] walls, and towers, gates, and bars, [while] 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 [of men] that bore targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these [were] mighty men of valor.

⁹ And there came out against them Zerah the Cushite, with a host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came to Mareshah.¹⁰ Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathath at Mareshah.¹¹ And Asa cried to the LORD his God, and said, LORD, [it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail against thee.¹² So the LORD smote the Cushites before Asa, and before Judah; and the Cushites fled.¹³ And Asa and the people that [were] with him pursued them to Gerar: and the Cushites were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.¹⁴ And they smote all the cities about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they plundered all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.¹⁵ They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.