Asa reigns in Judah and removes the foreign altars and high places. Judah enjoys ten years of peace, and when a huge Cushite army comes, Asa prays to the LORD and wins a decisive victory.
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 brake 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 fenced 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 unto 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 bare targets and spears , out of Judah three hundred thousand ; and out of Benjamin , that bare shields and drew bows , two hundred and fourscore thousand : all these were mighty men of valour .
9 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand , and three hundred chariots ; and came unto Mareshah .
10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah .
11 And Asa cried unto 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 Ethiopians before Asa , and before Judah ; and the Ethiopians fled .
13 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 the LORD , and before his host ; and they carried away very much spoil .
14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar ; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled 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 .