II Chronicles 14 Asa Reigns and Defeats Zerah the Ethiopian

 II Chronicles 14

Asa Reigns and Defeats Zerah the Ethiopian

1 Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had peace for ten years.

2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

3 He took away the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, broke down the sacred stones, and cut down the Asherah poles.

4 He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.

5 He also took away the high places and the images of the sun from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet before him.

6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest, and there was no war against him in those years, because the LORD had given him rest.

7 Then he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars, while the land is still before us, for we seek the LORD our God; we sought him, and he has given us rest all around." They built and prospered.

 8 Now Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows; all these were valiant men. 

9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian went out against them with an army of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. 

10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah, near Mareshah. 

11 Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God and said, "Lord, there is no help for you, whether the mighty or the weak; help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you, and in your name we come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let no man prevail against you.

12 And the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

13 And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many of the Ethiopians fell that there was no strength left in them; for they were defeated before the Lord and before his army, and they took away from there very much spoil.

14 And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the terror of the Lord was upon them; and they plundered all the cities, because there was much spoil in them.

15 They also attacked the cattle pens, and took away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.