2 Chronicles 13-15

1In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king of Judah,

2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.

4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

5Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

6Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.

7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

8And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

9But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods.

10But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

11Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.

12Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

13Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.

14When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

15and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

17Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

18Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.

19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages.

20Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down and he died.

21But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, along with his ways and his words, are written in the Treatise of the Prophet Iddo.

1Then Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place, and in his days the land was at peace for ten years.

2And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

3He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles.

4He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.

5He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.

6Because the land was at peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah. In those days no one made war with him, because the LORD had given him rest.

7So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

8Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.

9Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah.

10So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”

12So the LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled.

13Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder

14and attacked all the cities around Gerar, because the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all the cities, since there was much plunder there.

15They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and carried off many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

1Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.

2So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

3For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law.

4But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.

5In those days there was no safety for travelers, because the residents of the lands had many conflicts.

6Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God afflicted them with all kinds of adversity.

7But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”

8When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.

9And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, along with those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, for great numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

10So they gathered together in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.

11At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from all the plunder they had brought back.

12Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.

13And whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

14They took an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets, and rams’ horns.

15And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

16King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

17The high places were not removed from Israel, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted all his days.

18And he brought into the house of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

19And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.