3for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and brake down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim,
4and commanded Judah to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
5Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6And he built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Jehovah had given him rest.
7For he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God; we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8And Asa had an army that bare bucklers 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 valor.
9And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah.
