| 1 ¶ 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.
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| 2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:
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| 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images,1 and cut down the groves:
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| 4 And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
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| 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images:2 and the kingdom was quiet before him.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
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| 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 man3 prevail against thee.
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| 12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
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| 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 destroyed4 before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.
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| 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.
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| 15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.
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