Asa Reigns in Judah
(1 Kings 15:9–15)

1So Abia slept with his fathers, and they buryed him in the citie of Dauid, and Asa his sonne raigned in his steade, in whose dayes the lande was in quietnesse ten yeres.

2And Asa did that was good & right in the eyes of the Lorde his God. 3For he toke away straunge aulters and the high places, and brake downe the images, and cut downe the groues: 4And commaunded Iuda to seeke the Lorde God of their fathers, and to do according to the lawe and commaundement. 5And he put away out of all the cities of Iuda the high places & the images: & the kingdome was quiet before him. 6And he built strong cities in Iuda, because the lande was in rest, and he had no warre in those yeres: for the Lorde had geuen him rest. 7Therefore he saide vnto Iuda: let vs builde these cities, & make about them walles, towres, gates, and barres, for the lande is yet in rest before vs: because we haue sought the Lorde our God, we haue sought him, and he hath geuen vs rest on euery side. And so they built, and it prospered with them. 8And Asa had an armie of men that bare shieldes and speares out of Iuda three hundred thousand, & out of Beniamin that bare shieldes & drewe bowes two hundred and fourescore thousand: all these were valiaunt men.

9And there came out against them Zarah the blacke Morian with an hoast of ten hundred thousand, & three hundred charettes, & came as farre as Maresa. 10And Asa went out before him, and they ioyned the battaile in the valley of Zephata, beside Maresa. 11And Asa cryed vnto the Lorde his God, and saide: Lorde, it is no harde thing with thee to helpe with many or them that haue no power: Helpe vs therfore O Lorde our God, for we trust to thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude: Thou art the Lord our God, and no man shall preuaile against thee. 12So the Lord smote the blacke Moores before Asa and Iuda, and the blacke Moores fled. 13And Asa & the people that was with him, folowed after them vnto Gerar: And the blacke Moores hoast was ouerthrowen, that there was none of them left, but were destroyed before the Lord and before his hoast: And they caryed away a mightie great pray. 14And they smote all the cities rounde about Gerar, for the feare of the Lorde came vpon them: And they spoyled all the cities, & there was exceeding much spoyle in them. 15They smote also the tentes of cattaile, and caryed away plentie of sheepe and camels, and returned to Hierusalem,