Asa
1 Asa did what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh.
2 He removed the altars of foreign worship and the High places. He broke down the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah’s trunks.
3 He commanded the people of Judah to do the will of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and to observe the Law and its commands.
4 He removed the High places and the altars of incense in every town of Judah. The kingdom was at peace under his rule.
5 He rebuilt the fortified towns of Judah, since the country was at peace, and there was no war during those years, for Yahweh granted him peace.
6 He told the people of Judah, “Let us rebuild these towns and surround them with walls and towers, with gates and bars while we have control of this land, since we have done the will of Yahweh our God; and he has protected us and given us peace on every side.”
7 They built and prospered. Asa had an army of three hundred thousand Judaeans armed with buckler and spear, and two hundred eighty thousand Benja minites bearing shield and wielding the bow, all of them brave, well-trained men.
8 Zerah the Cushite, with an army one million strong and three hundred chariots, made an incursion which reached to Mareshah.
9 Asa marched against him and drew up his battle line in the Valley of Zephathah, at Mare shah.
10 He called on Yahweh, his God, “Yahweh, no one but you can stand up for the powerless against the powerful. Come to our help, Yahweh our God! We rely on you, and fight against this huge army in your name. Yahweh, you are our God. Let no one defeat you.”
11 Yahweh defeated the Cushites when Asa and the Judaean army attacked them. The Cushites fled,
12 and Asa pursued them with his army as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell even to the last for they had been overpowered by Yahweh and his camp. They collected great amounts of loot.
13 They conquered all the towns in the area of Gerar, for the terror of Yahweh had fallen on these towns and they plundered them all since they were full of loot.
14 They also attacked the camps of some shepherds and carried off great numbers of sheep and camels; then they returned to Jerusalem.