| International Standard Version | King James Bible |
| 1 Then Abijah died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. Abijah's son Asa reigned in his place, and during his lifetime the land enjoyed rest for ten years. | 1So 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 Asa practiced what the LORD his God considered to be right | 2And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: |
| 3by removing the foreign altars and high places, tearing down the sacred pillars, cutting down the Asherim, and | 3For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: |
| 4commanding Judah to seek the LORD God of their ancestors and to keep the Law and the commandments. | 4And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. |
| 5He also removed the high places and incense altars from all of the cities of Judah. As a result, the kingdom enjoyed rest under Asa's leadership. | 5Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. |
| 6Asa built fortified cities throughout Judah while the land lay undisturbed, because the LORD had given him peace so that no one went to war against him during those years. | 6And 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. |
| 7He had told Judah, "Let's build up these cities, surrounding them with walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land still belongs to us, because we have kept on seeking the LORD our God. We have sought him out, and he has given us rest all around us." So the people built and prospered. | 7Therefore 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. |
| 8Asa kept a standing army of 300,000 soldiers from Judah equipped with large shields and spears, as well as 280,000 soldiers from Benjamin, also bearing shields and wielding bows. All of them were valiant soldiers. | 8And Asa had an army of men that bare targets 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. |
| 9Sometime later, Zerah the Ethiopian went to war against him at Mareshah with an army of one million troops and 300 chariots. | 9And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. |
| 10Asa went out to engage him in battle, and they drew up their battle lines at Mareshah in the Zephathah Valley. | 10Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. |
| 11Asa cried out to the LORD his God, telling him, "LORD, there is no one except for you to help between the powerful and the weak. So help us, LORD God, because we're depending on you and have come against this vast group in your name. LORD, you are our God. Let no mere mortal man defeat you!" | 11And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. |
| 12So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians right in front of Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians ran away. | 12So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. |
| 13Asa and his army pursued the Ethiopians as far as Gerar. So many Ethiopians died that their army could not recover, because it had been shattered in the LORD's presence and in the presence of his army. The Israelis carried off a lot of plunder, too, | 13And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil. |
| 14They attacked all the cities that surrounded Gerar, because fear of the LORD had overwhelmed them. The Israelis spoiled all the cities, because there was a lot to plunder in them. | 14And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them. |
| 15They also attacked the tents of those who owned livestock and carried off lots of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. | 15They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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