2. Asa obeyed the Lord his God and did right.
3. He destroyed the local shrines and the altars to foreign gods. He smashed the stone images of gods and cut down the sacred poles used in worshipping the goddess Asherah.
4. Then he told everyone in Judah to worship the Lord God, just as their ancestors had done, and to obey his laws and teachings.
5. He destroyed every local shrine and incense altar in Judah.
6. The Lord blessed Judah with peace while Asa was king, and so during that time, Asa fortified many of the towns.
7. He said to the people, “Let's build walls and defence towers for these towns, and put in gates that can be locked with bars. This land still belongs to us, because we have obeyed the Lord our God. He has given us peace from all our enemies.” The people did everything Asa had suggested.