2Chronicles:14-15

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* 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 . * And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God : * For he took away the altars of the strange gods , and the high places , and brake down the images , and cut down the groves : * And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers , and to do the law and the commandment . * Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images : and the kingdom was quiet before him . * 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 . * 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 . * And 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 . * And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand , and three hundred chariots ; and came unto Mareshah . * Then Asa went out against him , and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah . * And 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 . * So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa , and before Judah ; and the Ethiopians fled . * And 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 . * And 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 . * They smote also the tents of cattle , and carried away sheep and camels in abundance , and returned to Jerusalem . * And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded : * And he went out to meet Asa , and said unto him , Hear ye me , Asa , and all Judah and Benjamin ; The LORD is with you , while ye be with him ; and if ye seek him , he will be found of you ; but if ye forsake him , he will forsake you . * Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God , and without a teaching priest , and without law . * But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel , and sought him , he was found of them . * And in those times there was no peace to him that went out , nor to him that came in , but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries . * And nation was destroyed of nation , and city of city : for God did vex them with all adversity . * Be ye strong therefore , and let not your hands be weak : for your work shall be rewarded . * And when Asa heard these words , and the prophecy of Oded the prophet , he took courage , and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin , and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim , and renewed the altar of the LORD , that was before the porch of the LORD . * And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin , and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh , and out of Simeon : for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance , when they saw that the LORD his God was with him . * So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month , in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa . * And they offered unto the LORD the same time , of the spoil which they had brought , seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep . * And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul ; * That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death , whether small or great , whether man or woman . * And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice , and with shouting , and with trumpets , and with cornets . * And all Judah rejoiced at the oath : for they had sworn with all their heart , and sought him with their whole desire ; and he was found of them : and the LORD gave them rest round about . * And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king , he removed her from being queen , because she had made an idol in a grove : and Asa cut down her idol , and stamped it , and burnt it at the brook Kidron . * But the high places were not taken away out of Israel : nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days . * And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated , and that he himself had dedicated , silver , and gold , and vessels . * And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa . * In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah , and built Ramah , to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah .

---