Self-interpreting Bible

1 SO Abijah ^aslept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and ^bAsa his son reigned in his ^*stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

• a: 1Ki. 2:10 , 2Ch. 9:31 , 2Ch. 12:16
• b: 1Ki. 15:8 - 14
• *: stead-place.

2 And Asa did that which was ^cgood and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:

• c: 1Ki. 15:11 , 1Ki. 11:33 , 2Ch. 25:2

3 For he took away ^dthe altars of the ^*strange gods, and the ^ehigh places, and brake down the ¹images, and ^fcut down the groves:

• d: 1Ki. 11:7 , 1Ki. 11:8 , 1Ki. 14:22 - 24 , Eze. 20:18 , 1Pe. 1:18
• *: strange-foreign.
• e: 1Ki. 15:14 , 2Ch. 15:17
• 1: Heb. statues.
• f: De. 7:5 , 1Ki. 16:33

4 And ^gcommanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

• g: Jos. 22:5 , Ge. 18:19 , 2Ch. 31:21 , Ezra 10 , Nehemiah 5 , Nehemiah 8 - 13

5 Also ^hhe took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the ²images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

• h: 2Ch. 14:3 , 2Ch. 14:1
• 2: Heb. sun-images.

6 ¶And ⁱhe built fenced cities in Judah: ^jfor the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.

• i: 2Ch. 8:2 - 6 , 2Ch. 11:5 - 12
• j: 2Ch. 14:1 , 2Ch. 14:5 , Ju. 3:11 , Ju. 3:30 , Ju. 5:31 , Ps. 127:1 , Ps. 127:2 , Ps. 46:9 , 2Ch. 15:15

7 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; ^kbecause 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.

• k: Le. 26:1 - 13 , De. 28:1 - 14 , Deuteronomy 4 - 6

8 And Asa had ^lan 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.

• l: 2Ch. 11:1 , 2Ch. 13:3 , 2Ch. 25:5

9 ¶And ^mthere came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a ⁿthousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto ^oMareshah.

• m: 2Ch. 16:8 , Is. 18:1 , Eze. 30:5
• n: 2Ch. 13:3 , 2Ch. 17:14 - 18 , Ps. 33:16
• o: Jos. 15:44

10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of ^pZephathah at Mareshah.

• p: Jos. 15:44 , Mi. 1:15 , Ju. 1:17

11 And Asa ^qcried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is ^rnothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for ^swe rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not ³man prevail against thee.

• q: Ex. 14:15 , 2Ch. 13:14 , Ps. 50:15 , Ps. 91:15 , Ps. 130:1
• r: 1Sa. 14:6 , Ps. 62:11 , Ro. 8:31 , Ju. 7:7
• s: 1Sa. 17:45 , Ps. 22:4 , Ps. 2:11 , Ps. 34:8 , Ps. 118:10 - 13 , 2Ch. 13:18 , 2Ch. 20:12 , 2Ch. 16:8 , Pr. 18:10 , Je. 32:17 , Ac. 9:4 , Is. 41:10 - 16 , Ro. 8:31
• 3: Or, mortal man.

12 So the LORD ^tsmote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

• t: 2Ch. 13:15 , 2Ch. 20:22 , 2Ch. 16:8 , Le. 26:7 , Le. 26:8 , De. 28:7 , Jos. 23:9 , Jos. 23:10

13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto ^uGerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were ⁴destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.

• u: Ge. 10:19
• 4: Heb. broken.

14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for ^vthe fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

• v: 2Ch. 17:10 , 2Ch. 20:29

15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.