Asa Succeeds Abijah in Judah

14 ^[a](A)So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.

^2 [b]Asa did good and right in the sight of the Lord his God, ³ for he removed ^(B)the foreign altars and ^(C)high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the ^[c](D)Asherim, ⁴ and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. ⁵ He also removed the high places and the ^(E)incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. ^6 (F)He built fortified cities in Judah, since the land was undisturbed, and ^[d]there was no one at war with him during those years, ^(G)because the Lord had given him rest. ⁷ For he said to Judah, “^(H)Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ^[e]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. ⁸ Now Asa had an army of ^(I)300,000 from Judah, bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin, bearing shields and wielding bows; all of them were valiant warriors.

⁹ Now Zerah the Ethiopian ^(J)came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and he came to ^(K)Mareshah. ¹⁰ So Asa went out ^[f]to meet him, and they drew up in battle formation in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. ¹¹ Then Asa ^(L)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; so help us, O Lord our God, ^(M)for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.” ¹² So ^(N)the Lord ^[g]routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. ¹³ Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as ^(O)Gerar; and so many Ethiopians fell that ^[h]they could not recover, for they were shattered before the Lord and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. ¹⁴ They ^[i]destroyed all the cities around Gerar, ^(P)for the dread of the Lord had fallen on them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. ¹⁵ They also struck down ^[j]those who owned livestock, and they carried away large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(A)the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever ^[a]the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ^20 (B)For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him ^(C)greater works than these, so that you will marvel. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and ^(D)gives them life, even so ^(E)the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. ²² For not even the Father judges anyone, but ^(F)He has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. ^(G)He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

²⁴ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and ^(H)believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and ^(I)does not come into judgment, but has ^(J)passed out of death into life.

Two Resurrections

²⁵ Truly, truly, I say to you, ^(K)an hour is coming and now is, when ^(L)the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who ^(M)hear will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He ^(N)gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; ²⁷ and He gave Him authority to ^(O)execute judgment, because He is ^[b]the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this; for ^(P)an hour is coming, in which ^(Q)all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, ²⁹ and will come forth; ^(R)those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

³⁰ “^(S)I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and ^(T)My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but ^(U)the will of Him who sent Me.

³¹ “^(V)If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not ^[c]true. ³² There is ^(W)another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.