(1 Kings 15:9–15)
1
And Abijah lies with his fathers, and they bury him in the City of David, and his son Asa reigns in his stead. In his days the land was quiet [for] ten years.
2
And Asa does that which is good and that which is right in the eyes of his God YHWH,
3
and turns aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaks the standing-pillars, and cuts down the Asherim,
4
and commands to Judah to seek YHWH, God of their fathers, and to do the Law and the command;
5
and he turns aside the high places and the images out of all cities of Judah, and the kingdom is quiet before him.
6
And he builds cities of bulwarks in Judah, for the land has quiet; and there is no war with him in these years, because YHWH has given rest to him.
7
And he says to Judah, “Let us build these cities, and surround [them] with wall, and towers, double gates, and bars, while the land [is] before us, because we have sought our God YHWH, we have sought, and He gives rest to us all around”; and they build and prosper.
8
And Asa has a force of three hundred thousand from Judah carrying buckler and spear, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin carrying shield and treading bow; all these [are] mighty men of valor.
9
And Zerah the Cushite comes out to them with a force of one million [men] and three hundred chariots, and he comes to Mareshah,
10
and Asa goes out before him, and they set in array [for] battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11
And Asa calls to his God YHWH and says, “YHWH, it is nothing for You to help, between the mighty and those who have no power; help us, O YHWH, our God, for we have leaned on You, and in Your Name we have come against this multitude; O YHWH, You [are] our God; do not let mortal man prevail against You!”
12
And YHWH strikes the Cushim before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushim flee,
13
and Asa and the people who [are] with him pursue them even to Gerar, and there falls [many] from the Cushim, for they have no preserving, because they have been broken before YHWH and before His camp; and [those of Judah] carry away very much spoil,
14
and strike all the cities around Gerar, for a fear of YHWH has been on them, and they spoil all the cities, for abundant spoil has been in them;
15
and they have also struck tents of livestock, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and return to Jerusalem.
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