Study Desk

Now Asa had an army of ^(C1)three hundred thousand from Judah, carrying large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, carrying shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

Now Zerah the Ethiopian ^(C1)went out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to ^(C2)Mareshah.

So Asa went out ^(F1)to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

Then Asa ^(C1)called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; help us, LORD our God, ^(C2)for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You."

So ^(C1)the LORD ^(F1)routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as ^(C1)Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that ^(F1)they could not recover, for they were shattered before the LORD and before His army. And they carried away a very large amount of plunder.

They ^(F1)destroyed all the cities around Gerar, ^(C1)for the dread of the LORD had fallen on them; and they pillaged all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.

They also fatally struck ^(F1)those who owned livestock, and they led away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.