Asa Reigns in Judah
1 1Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years.
2
And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
3
He took away the foreign altars
2and the high places and broke down
3the pillars and cut down the
4Asherim
4
and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.
5
He also took out of all the cities of Judah
5the high places and the
6incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him.
6
He built
7fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years,
8for the LORD gave him peace.
7
And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with
9walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought him,
10and he has given us peace on every side." So they built and prospered.
8
And Asa had an army of
11 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.
9
Zerah
12the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as
13Mareshah.