2 Chronicles 14

1 Abijah died and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa took over as king. For ten years of his reign the country was at peace.

And Abiyah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Assa his son became king in his stead. In his days the land had repose ten years.

2 Asa did what was good and right in the Lord's sight.

And Assa did what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

3 He took down the foreign altars and high places, smashed their sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.

And he removed the altars of the strange [gods], and the high-places, and broke up the statues, and cut down the groves;

4 He ordered Judah to worship the Lord, the God of their forefathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.

And he ordered Judah to seek the Lord the God of their fathers, and to execute the law and the commandment.

5 He also took down the high places and the incense altars from all the towns of Judah. Under his rule the kingdom was at peace.

Also he removed out of all the cities of Judah the high-places and the sun-images: and the kingdom had repose before him.

6 Because the country was at peace he was able to rebuild the fortified towns of Judah. There were no wars during these years because the Lord had granted him peace.

And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land had repose, and no one had war with him in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.

7 Asa told the people of Judah, “Let us build up these towns and surround them with walls and towers and barred gates. The land is still ours, because we continue to worship the Lord our God. We worship him, and he has given us peace from all our enemies.” So they began the building projects, and completed them successfully.

Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and surround them with walls, and towers, gates, and bars: 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 Asa had an army made up of three hundred thousand men from Judah who carried large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand men from Benjamin who carried regular shields and bows. All of them were brave warriors.

And Assa 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 were mighty men of valor.

9 Zerah the Ethiopian attacked them with an army of a thousand times a thousand men and three hundred chariots, advancing as far as Mareshah.

And there came out against them Zerach the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand times thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came as far as Mareshah.

10 Asa went out to confront him, lining up for battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

Then went Assa out against him, and they set themselves in battle-array in the valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11 Asa called out for help to the Lord his God: “Lord, there is no one apart from you who can help the powerless against the powerful. Please help us, Lord our God, for we trust in you. We have come against this horde because we stand for you, Lord. You are our God. Do not let a mere human being beat you.”

And Assa called unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, nothing can hinder thee to help, whether it be the mighty, or those that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for on thee do we rely, and in thy name are we come against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God! no mortal can place a restraint against thee.

12 The Lord struck the Ethiopians in front of Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians ran away.

Thereupon did the Lord strike down the Ethiopians before Assa, and before Judah: and the Ethiopians fled.

13 Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar. The Ethiopians were killed—there were none who survived, for they were caught between the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.

And Assa and the people that were with him pursued them as far as Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians [so many], that they could not recover themselves; for they were broken down before the Lord, and before his camp; and they carried away exceedingly much booty.

14 They also attacked all the towns around Gerar, because the inhabitants were terrified of the Lord. The men of Judah took a large amount of plunder from all the towns.

And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the dread of the Lord was upon them: and they plundered all the cities; for abundant spoil was in them.

15 Then they attacked the camps of the herdsmen and took many sheep and camels. Then they went back to Jerusalem.

And also the tents of [the owners of] cattle did they smite, and they carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.