« | 2 Chronicles 14 | » |
1 And Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In the days of Asa the land of Judah had rest for ten years.
2 And he did that which was good and right in the sight of the Lord his God.
3 And he removed the altars of the strange [gods], and the high places, and broke the pillars in pieces, and cut down the groves;
4 and he told Judah to seek earnestly the Lord God of their fathers, and to perform the law and the commandments.
5 And he removed from all the cities of Judah the altars and the idols, and established in quietness
6 fortified cities in the land of Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in these years; for the Lord gave him rest.
7 And he said to Judah, Let us fortify these cities, and make walls, and towers, and gates, and bars; we shall prevail over the land, for as we have sought out the Lord our God, He has sought out us, and has given us rest round about, and prospered us.
8 And Asa had a force of armed men bearing shields and spears in the land of Judah, [even] three hundred thousand, and in the land of Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand targeteers and archers; all these were mighty warriors.
9 And Zerah the Ethiopian went out against them, with a force of a million, and three hundred chariots; and came to Mareshah.
10 And Asa went out to meet him, and set the battle in array in the valley north of Mareshah.
11 And Asa cried to the Lord his God, and said, O Lord, it is not impossible with You to save by many or by few: strengthen us, O Lord our God; for we trust in You, and in Your name we have come up against this great multitude. O Lord our God, let not man prevail against You.
12 And the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
13 And Asa and his people pursued them to Gerar; and the Ethiopians fell, so that they could not recover themselves; for they were crushed before the Lord, and before His army; and they took many spoils.
14 And they destroyed their towns roundabout Gerar; for the terror of the Lord was upon them; and they plundered all their cities, for they had much spoil.
15 Also they destroyed the tents of cattle, and the Alimazons, and took many sheep and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.
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