2Asa did what was good and upright in the eyes of the LORD his God.3He removed the foreign altars and the high places; he broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah.4He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to do the instruction and the commandment.5He removed the high places and the pillars from every city of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet before him.6He built fortified cities in Judah, because the land was quiet and there was no war with him in those years, for the LORD had given him rest.7He said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround them with a wall, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought him, and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.8Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor.9Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots, and he came as far as Mareshah.10Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up for battle in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.11Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, there is none with you to help between the mighty and the one without strength. Help us, O LORD our God, for we lean on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD our God, you are; let not man prevail against you."12The LORD struck down the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.13Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar. The Ethiopians fell until none of them had recovery, for they were broken before the LORD and before his camp; and they carried off much spoil.14They struck all the cities around Gerar, because the dread of the LORD was upon them; they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.15They also struck the tents of livestock and carried off sheep in abundance and camels; then they returned to Jerusalem.