1 Abijah died and was buried in Jerusalem. His son Asa became king in his place, and there was peace in the country for ten years during Asa’s time.
2 Asa did what the Lord his God said was good and right.
3 He removed the foreign altars and the places where gods were worshiped. He smashed the stone pillars that honored other gods, and he tore down the Asherah idols.
4 Asa commanded the people of Judah to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his teachings and commandments.
5 He also removed the places where gods were worshiped and the incense altars from every town in Judah. So the kingdom had peace while Asa was king.
6 Asa built strong, walled cities in Judah during the time of peace. He had no war in these years, because the Lord gave him peace.
7 Asa said to the people of Judah, “Let’s build up these towns and put walls around them. Let’s make towers, gates, and bars in the gates. This country is ours, because we have obeyed the Lord our God. We have followed him, and he has given us peace all around.” So they built and had success.