So
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. 2 And Asa did that which was
good and right in the eyes of the Lord
his God: 3 For he took
away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down
the images, and cut down the groves: 4 And
commanded Judah to seek the Lord
God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5 Also he took away out of all the
cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet
before him. 6 And he built
fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those
years; because the Lord had given
him rest. 7 Therefore he
said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls,
and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us;
because we have sought the Lord
our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So
they built and prospered. 8 And Asa had an
army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred
thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and
fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
9 And there came
out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and
three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out against him,
and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to
help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and
in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord,
thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. 12 So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and
the Ethiopians fled. 13 And Asa and the
people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians
were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were
destroyed before the Lord, and
before his host; and they carried away very much spoil. 14 And they smote all the cities
round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord
came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much
spoil in them. 15 They smote also
the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and
returned to Jerusalem.
2
Chron 14:1-15 (KJV)
And the Spirit of God came upon
Azariah the son of Oded: 2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear
ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord
is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found
of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 Now
for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a
teaching priest, and without law. 4 But when they in their trouble
did turn unto the Lord God of
Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. 5 And in those times there
was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great
vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. 6 And
nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all
adversity. 7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be
weak: for your work shall be rewarded. 8 And when Asa heard these
words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the
abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the
cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch
of the Lord. 9 And
he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim
and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in
abundance, when they saw that the Lord
his God was with him. 10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in
the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And
they offered unto the Lord the
same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and
seven thousand sheep. 12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their
heart and with all their soul; 13 That whosoever would not seek
the Lord God of Israel should be
put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 And
they sware unto the Lord with a
loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets. 15 And
all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and
sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about. 16 And
also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being
queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and
stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. 17 But
the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of
Asa was perfect all his days. 18 And he brought into the house
of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had
dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19 And there was no more
war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
2
Chron 15:1-19 (KJV)
