And 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.
And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Jehovah his God:
for he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the groves:
and commanded Judah to seek Jehovah God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
And he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
And he built fenced cities in Judah. for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because Jehovah had given him rest.
And he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars, while the land is yet before us; for we have sought Jehovah our God; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side. And they built and prospered.
And Asa had an army that bore targets and spears: out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew the bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these, mighty men of valour.
And Zerah the Ethiopian came out against him with a host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.
And Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.
And Asa cried unto Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, [it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many or with them that hath no power: help us, O Jehovah our God, for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Jehovah, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail against thee.
So Jehovah smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
And Asa and the people that [were] with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before Jehovah, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.
And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of Jehovah came upon them; and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.