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.

 2 And ^aAsa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:

 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the ^agroves:

 4 And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

 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.

 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.

 8 And Asa had an army of men that bare ^atargets 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.

 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.