1
So Abijah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. His son Asa succeeded him. In his days the land had rest for ten years.
2
Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.
3
He took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, hewed down the sacred poles,
4
and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to keep the law and the commandment.
5
He also removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him.
6
He built fortified cities in Judah while the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace.
7
He said to Judah, "Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars; the land is still ours because we have sought the Lord our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side." So they built and prospered.
8
Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand troops from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty warriors.
9
Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.