3for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim,
4and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, 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.
6He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest.
7For he said to 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 Yahweh our God; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.
9There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah.
