2 Chronicles 14:1-8

1(13:23) Abijah passed away and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa replaced him as king. During his reign the land had rest for ten years.

2(14:1) Asa did what the Lord his God desired and approved.

3He removed the pagan altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.

4He ordered Judah to seek the Lord God of their ancestors and to observe his law and commands.

5He removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. The kingdom had rest under his rule.

6He built fortified cities throughout Judah, for the land was at rest and there was no war during those years; the Lord gave him peace.

7He said to the people of Judah: “Let’s build these cities and fortify them with walls, towers, and barred gates. The land remains ours because we have followed the Lord our God and he has made us secure on all sides.” So they built the cities and prospered.

8Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from Benjamin who carried small shields and were adept archers; they were all skilled warriors.