Chapter 14
1So 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.
2Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of
Yahweh his God:
3for he took away the foreign altars, and the high
places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim,
4and
commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to do the law
and the commandment.
5Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah
the high places and the sun images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had
no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
7For 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.
8Asa 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.
9There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a
million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah.
10Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the
valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said,
Yahweh, there is none besides you to help, between the mighty and him
who has no strength: help us, Yahweh our God; for we rely on you, and in
your name are we come against this multitude. Yahweh, you are our God;
don’t let man prevail against you.
12So Yahweh struck the Ethiopians
before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
13Asa and the
people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and there fell of the
Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were
destroyed before Yahweh, and before his army; and they carried away very much
booty.
14They struck all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of
Yahweh came on them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much
spoil in them.
15They struck also the tents of livestock, and carried away
sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.
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