The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 14
1 So Abijah slept with his fathers, and
they buriedhim in David’s city; and Asahis
son reigned in his place. In his days, the
land was quiet ten years.
2 Asa did that which was good and right
in Yahweh his God’s eyes,
3 for he took away the foreign altars and
the high places, broke down the pillars, cut
down the Asherah poles,
4 and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to obey
his law and command.
5 Also he took away out of all the cities of
Judah the high places and the sun images;
and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6 He built fortified cities in Judah; for the
land was quiet, and he had no war in those
years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
7 For he said to Judah, “Let’s build these
cities and make walls around them, with
towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet
beforeus, because wehave soughtYahweh
our God. We have sought him, and he has
given us rest on every side.” So they built
and prospered.
8 Asa had an army of three hundred
thousand out of Judah who bore bucklers
and spears, and two hundred eighty thousandout of
Benjamin whobore shields and
drew bows. All these were mighty men of
valor.
9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against
them with an army of a million troops and
three hundred chariots, and he came to
Mareshah.
10 Then Asa went out to meet him, and
they set the battle in array in the valley of
Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said,
“Yahweh, there is no one besides you to
help, betweenthe mighty andhim who has
no strength. Help us, Yahweh our God; for
we rely on you, and in your name are we
come against this multitude. Yahweh, you
are our God. Don’t let man prevail against
you.”
12 So Yahweh struck the Ethiopians before Asa andbefore Judah; andtheEthiopians fled.
13 Asa and the people who were with him
pursued them to Gerar. So many of the
Ethiopians fell that they could not recover
themselves, for they were destroyed before Yahweh and before his army. Judah’s
army carried away very much booty.
14 They struck allthe cities around Gerar,
for the fear of Yahweh came on them.
They plundered all the cities, for there was
much plunder in them.
15 They also struck the tents of those
whohad livestock, and carried away sheep
and camels in abundance, then returned
to Jerusalem.