Asa Succeeds Abijah in Judah

(1 Kings 15:9-15)

1And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

2And Asa did what was good and right in the sight of Jehovah his God; 3and he took away the altars of the strange [gods] and the high places, and broke the columns, and cut down the Asherahs; 4and commanded Judah to seek Jehovah the God of their fathers, and to practise the law and the commandment. 5And he removed out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images; and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because Jehovah had given him rest. 7And he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars, while the land is yet before us; for we have sought Jehovah our God; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side. And they built and prospered. 8And Asa had an army that bore targets and spears: out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew the bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these, mighty men of valour.

9And Zerah the Ethiopian came out against him with a host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 10And Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. 11And Asa cried unto Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, it maketh no difference to thee to help, whether there be much or no power: help us, O Jehovah our God, for we rely on thee, and in thy name have we come against this multitude. Jehovah, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. 12And Jehovah smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them to Gerar; and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that none of them was left alive; for they were crushed before Jehovah and before his army. And they carried away very much spoil. 14And they smote all the cities round about Gerar, for the terror of Jehovah came upon them; and they spoiled all the cities, for there was very much spoil in them. 15They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.