1 When|strong="H6213" Abijah died, they|strong="H3068" buried|strong="H6213" him|strong="H0430" in|strong="H0430" the|strong="H3068" City of|strong="H0430" David. Abijah’s son Asa|strong="H0609" became the|strong="H3068" new king after him|strong="H0430". There|strong="H3068" was|strong="H3068" peace|strong="H3477" in|strong="H0430" the|strong="H3068" country for|strong="H3068" ten years in|strong="H0430" Asa’s|strong="H0609" time.
2 Asa did what the|strong="H0853" LORD his|strong="H5493" God said was good and|strong="H4196" right.
3 He|strong="H0430" took|strong="H0853" away the|strong="H0853" altars of|strong="H0430" the|strong="H0853" foreigners and|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0853" high places|strong="H0559". He|strong="H0430" also|strong="H3068" smashed the|strong="H0853" memorial stones and|strong="H3068" cut down the|strong="H0853" Asherah poles.
4 He|strong="H0853" commanded the|strong="H3605" people of|strong="H6440" Judah|strong="H3063" to|strong="H6440" follow the|strong="H3605" LORD, the|strong="H3605" God their|strong="H3605" ancestors had|strong="H3063" worshiped, and|strong="H3063" to|strong="H6440" obey his|strong="H3605" laws and|strong="H3063" commands.
5 He|strong="H3588" also|strong="H3068" removed all the|strong="H3588" high places and|strong="H3068" incense altars from|strong="H0776" all the|strong="H3588" towns|strong="H5892" in|strong="H8141" Judah|strong="H3063". So|strong="H3588" the|strong="H3588" kingdom had|strong="H3068" peace|strong="H8252" when|strong="H3588" Asa was|strong="H0369" king.
6 Asa built|strong="H1129" strong cities|strong="H5892" in|strong="H0430" Judah|strong="H3063" while|strong="H5750" there|strong="H3068" was|strong="H3068" peace|strong="H5117" in|strong="H0430" Judah|strong="H3063". He|strong="H3588" had|strong="H3068" no war in|strong="H0430" these|strong="H0428" years because|strong="H3588" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" gave|strong="H0559" him|strong="H0853" peace|strong="H5117".
7 Asa|strong="H0609" said to|strong="H1961" the|strong="H3605" people of|strong="H3605" Judah|strong="H3063", “Let’s build these|strong="H0428" towns and|strong="H3063" make|strong="H5375" walls around them|strong="H5375". Let’s make|strong="H5375" towers|strong="H5375", gates, and|strong="H3063" bars in|strong="H1961" the|strong="H3605" gates. Let’s do|strong="H3605" this|strong="H0428" while|strong="H1961" we|strong="H3605" still live in|strong="H1961" this|strong="H0428" country. This|strong="H0428" country is|strong="H3605" ours because|strong="H3605" we|strong="H3605" have|strong="H1961" followed the|strong="H3605" LORD our|strong="H3605" God. He|strong="H1144" has|strong="H1961" given us peace all|strong="H3605" around us.” So|strong="H1961" they|strong="H0428" built and|strong="H3063" had|strong="H1961" success.
8 Asa had|strong="H0935" an|strong="H0935" army|strong="H2428" of|strong="H0505" 300,000 men from|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0413" tribe of|strong="H0505" Judah and|strong="H0935" 280,000 men from|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0413" tribe of|strong="H0505" Benjamin. The|strong="H0413" men from|strong="H0935" Judah carried|strong="H0935" large shields and|strong="H0935" spears. The|strong="H0413" men from|strong="H0935" Benjamin carried|strong="H0935" small shields and|strong="H0935" shot arrows from|strong="H0935" bows. All|strong="H5704" of|strong="H0505" them|strong="H0413" were|strong="H2428" strong|strong="H2428" and|strong="H0935" brave|strong="H2428" soldiers|strong="H2428".
9 Then|strong="H3318" Zerah from|strong="H3318" Ethiopia came|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" against|strong="H6440" Asa’s|strong="H0609" army|strong="H4421". He|strong="H3318" had|strong="H0609" 1,000,000 men and|strong="H6440" 300 chariots in|strong="H6440" his|strong="H6440" army|strong="H4421". His|strong="H6440" army|strong="H4421" went|strong="H3318" as|strong="H3318" far as|strong="H3318" the|strong="H6440" town of|strong="H6440" Mareshah|strong="H4762".
10 Asa|strong="H0609" went|strong="H0935" out|strong="H5921" to|strong="H0413" fight against|strong="H5921" Zerah. Asa’s|strong="H0609" army|strong="H1995" got ready for|strong="H3588" battle in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0559" Valley of|strong="H0430" Zephathah at|strong="H0413" Mareshah.
11 Asa|strong="H0609" called out|strong="H6440" to|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" his|strong="H3068" God|strong="H3068" and|strong="H3068" said, “LORD|strong="H3068", only you|strong="H6440" can help weak people against|strong="H6440" those|strong="H0853" who|strong="H3068" are|strong="H3068" strong! Help us|strong="H6440", LORD|strong="H3068" our|strong="H3068" God|strong="H3068"! We depend on|strong="H3068" you|strong="H6440". We fight against|strong="H6440" this|strong="H3068" large army in|strong="H3068" your|strong="H3068" name. LORD|strong="H3068", you|strong="H6440" are|strong="H3068" our|strong="H3068" God|strong="H3068"! Don’t let anyone defeat you|strong="H6440"!”
12 Then|strong="H5375" the|strong="H6440" LORD|strong="H3068" used Asa’s|strong="H0609" army|strong="H4264" from|strong="H6440" Judah to|strong="H5704" defeat the|strong="H6440" Ethiopian|strong="H3569" army|strong="H4264". And|strong="H3068" the|strong="H6440" army|strong="H4264" ran away|strong="H5375".
13 Asa’s army chased the|strong="H3605" Ethiopian army all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" way|strong="H3605" to|strong="H1961" the|strong="H3605" town|strong="H5892" of|strong="H3068" Gerar|strong="H1642". So|strong="H1961" many|strong="H7227" Ethiopians were|strong="H1961" killed|strong="H5221" that|strong="H3588" they|strong="H3588" could not|strong="H1961" get together|strong="H5921" as|strong="H1961" an|strong="H1961" army to|strong="H1961" fight again|strong="H1961". They|strong="H3588" were|strong="H1961" crushed by|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" LORD|strong="H3068" and|strong="H3068" his|strong="H3605" army. Asa and|strong="H3068" his|strong="H3605" army carried|strong="H5921" many|strong="H7227" valuable things|strong="H3605" away|strong="H3605" from|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" enemy.
14 Asa and|strong="H7725" his|strong="H7725" army|strong="H3389" defeated|strong="H5221" all|strong="H7230" the|strong="H5221" towns near Gerar. The|strong="H5221" people living in|strong="H7725" those towns were|strong="H1581" afraid of|strong="H0168" the|strong="H5221" LORD. Those towns had|strong="H0168" very|strong="H1571" many|strong="H7230" valuable things. Asa’s army|strong="H3389" took|strong="H7617" those valuable things away|strong="H7725" from|strong="H7725" those towns.
15 His army also attacked the camps where the shepherds lived and took many sheep and camels. Then they went back to Jerusalem.