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Once an Ethiopian[a] named Zerah attacked Judah with an army of 1,000,000 men[b] and 300 chariots. They advanced to the town of Mareshah, 10 so Asa deployed his armies for battle in the valley north of Mareshah.[c] 11 Then Asa cried out to the Lord his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”

12 So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians[d] in the presence of Asa and the army of Judah, and the enemy fled. 13 Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar, and so many Ethiopians fell that they were unable to rally. They were destroyed by the Lord and his army, and the army of Judah carried off a vast amount of plunder.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:9a Hebrew a Cushite.
  2. 14:9b Or an army of thousands and thousands; Hebrew reads an army of a thousand thousands.
  3. 14:10 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.
  4. 14:12 Hebrew Cushites; also in 14:13.

Zerah the Cushite(A) marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.(B) 10 Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11 Then Asa called(C) to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us,(D) Lord our God, for we rely(E) on you, and in your name(F) we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail(G) against you.”

12 The Lord struck down(H) the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar.(I) Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed(J) before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.(K)

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