Asa succeeding destroyeth idolatry.

1 ¶ So Abijahº sleptºª with² his fathers,º and they buriedºª him in the cityº of David:º and Asaº his sonº reignedºª in his stead.² In his daysº the landº was quietºª tenº years.º 2 And Asaº didºª [that which was] goodº and rightº in the eyesº of the LORDº his God:º 3 For he took awayºª² the altarsº of the strangeº [gods], and the high places,º and brake downºª² the images,º and cut downºª² the groves:º 4 And commandedºª Judahº to seekºª² the LORDº Godº of their fathers,º and to doºª the lawº and the commandment.º 5 Also he took awayºª out of all²² the citiesº of Judahº² the high placesº and the images:º and the kingdomº was quietºª beforeº him.

Having peace, he strengtheneth his kingdom with forts and armies.

6 ¶ And he builtºª fencedº citiesº in Judah:º for² the landº had rest,ºª and he had no² warº in those² years;º because² the LORDº had given him rest.ºª 7 Therefore he saidºª unto Judah,º Let us buildºª² these² cities,º and make aboutºª [them] walls,º and towers,º gates,º and bars,º [while] the landº [is] yet² beforeº us; because² we have soughtºª² the LORDº our God,º we have soughtºª [him], and he hath given us restºª on every side.º² So they builtºª and prospered.ºª 8 And Asaº had² an armyº [of men] that bareºª targetsº and spears,º out of² Judahº threeº hundredº thousand;º and out of Benjamin,º² that bareºª shieldsº and drewºª bows,º two hundredº and fourscoreº thousand:º all² these² [were] mighty menº of valour.º

Calling on God, he overthroweth Zerah, and spoileth the Ethiopians.

9 ¶ And there came outºª against² them Zerahº the Ethiopianº with an hostº of a thousandº thousand,º and threeº hundredº chariots;º and cameºª unto² Mareshah.º 10 Then Asaº went outºª againstº him, and they set the battle¹ in arrayºª² in the valleyº of Zephathahº at Mareshah.º 11 And Asaº criedºª unto² the LORDº his God,º and said,ºª LORD,º [it is] nothing² with² thee to help,ºª whetherº with many,º or with them that have no² power:º helpºª us, O LORDº our God;º for² we restºª on² thee, and in thy nameº we goºª against² this² multitude.º O LORD,º thou² [art] our God;º let not² manº prevailºª against² thee. 12 So the LORDº smoteºª² the Ethiopiansº beforeº Asa,º and beforeº Judah;º and the Ethiopiansº fled.ºª 13 And Asaº and the peopleº that² [were] with² him pursuedºª them unto² Gerar:º and the Ethiopiansº² were overthrown,ºª that they could not² recoverº themselves; for² they were destroyedºª beforeº the LORD,º and beforeº his host;º and they carried awayºª veryº muchºª spoil.º 14 And they smoteºª² all² the citiesº round aboutº Gerar;º for² the fearº of the LORDº came² upon² them: and they spoiledºª² all² the cities;º for² there was² exceeding muchº spoilº in them. 15 They smoteºª also² the tentsº of cattle,º and carried awayºª sheepº and camelsº in abundance,º and returnedºª to Jerusalem.º