The Divided Kingdom

Aviyah and his army inflicted a great slaughter on them - 500,000 of Isra'el's select soldiers fell dead.

Thus the people of Isra'el were subdued that time, and the people of Y'hudah won the victory, because they relied on ADONAI the God of their ancestors.

Aviyah pursued Yarov'am, taking from him the towns of Beit-El with its villages, Y'shanah with its villages and 'Efrayin with its villages.

Yarov'am did not recover his strength during the time of Aviyahu. Finally ADONAI struck him, and he died.

But Aviyahu grew strong; he married fourteen wives and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

Other activities of Aviyah, together with his ways of doing things and his sayings, are recorded in the commentary of the prophet 'Iddo.

Aviyah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son became king in his place; during his time the land was quiet for ten years.

Asa did what was good and right from the perspective of ADONAI his God;

for he removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashing the standing-stones and chopping down the sacred poles.

He ordered Y'hudah to seek ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, and to obey the Torah and the mitzvah.

He removed the high places and pillars for sun-worship from all the cities of Y'hudah, and under him the kingdom was quiet.

Because the land was quiet, and he had no war during those years, since ADONAI had given him rest, he built fortified cities in Y'hudah.

"Let's build these cities," he said to Y'hudah; "we'll surround them with walls, towers, gates and bars. The land is there for us to use, because we have sought ADONAI our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side." So they built and prospered.

Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Y'hudah, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 from Binyamin, with shields and bows; all were brave, strong men.

Zerach the Ethiopian came out to attack them with an army of one million and three hundred chariots. When he arrived at Mareshah,

Asa went out to fight him, and the forces were arranged for battle in the Tz'fat Valley at Mareshah.

Asa cried out to ADONAI his God, "ADONAI, there is no one besides yourself, strong or weak, who can help. Help us, ADONAI our God, because we are relying on you, and we are coming against this vast throng in your name. You are ADONAI our God; don't let human beings stop you!"

So ADONAI struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Y'hudah, and the Ethiopians fled.

Asa and the army with him pursued them to G'rar, and the Ethiopians were defeated beyond recovery; they were shattered before ADONAI and his army, who carried off much spoil.

Then they attacked all the cities in the vicinity of G'rar, for a panic from ADONAI had overcome them. They plundered all the cities, for they were full of spoil.

They also attacked the tents of those tending the livestock and carried off sheep and camels in abundance. Then they returned to Yerushalayim.

The Spirit of God came on 'Azaryah the son of 'Oded;

he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Y'hudah and Binyamin! ADONAI is with you, as long as you are with him; if you seek him, you will find him; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you!

For a long time Isra'el was without the true God, without a cohen who could teach, and without Torah.

But when, in their distress, they turned to ADONAI the God of Isra'el and sought him, they found him.