1
So Abijah 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 was quiet ten years.
2
Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God:
3
for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim,
4
and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the 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 sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6
He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
7
For he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8
Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.
9
There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah.
10
Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.