2 Chronicles 14

1Abijah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in David's city. Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

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

3He removed the foreigners' altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.

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

5He removed the high places and the idols from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet before him.

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

7He said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars, while the land still lies before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God; we have sought him, and he has granted us rest all around." So they built and prospered.

8Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried bucklers and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and were archers; all these were mighty warriors.

9Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a thousand thousands and three hundred chariots, and reached Mareshah.

10Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up for battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

11Asa called to Yahweh his God and said, "Yahweh, there is none with you to help between the many and the powerless; help us, Yahweh our God, for we have relied on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. Yahweh our God, do not let man prevail against you."

12Yahweh defeated the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled.

13Asa and the people with him pursued them to Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that no recovery was left to them, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before his army, and they carried away abundant plunder.

14They struck all the cities around Gerar because the dread of Yahweh was upon them, and they plundered all the cities because abundant spoil was in them.

15They also struck the livestock tents, took captive sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.