3. He took away the altars of the foreigners and the high places. He also smashed the memorial stones and cut down the Asherah poles.
4. He commanded the people of Judah to follow the Lord, the God their ancestors had worshiped, and to obey his laws and commands.
5. He also removed all the high places and incense altars from all the towns in Judah. So the kingdom had peace when Asa was king.
6. Asa built strong cities in Judah while there was peace in Judah. He had no war in these years because the Lord gave him peace.
7. Asa said to the people of Judah, “Let’s build these towns and make walls around them. Let’s make towers, gates, and bars in the gates. Let’s do this while we still live in this country. This country is ours because we have followed the Lord our God. He has given us peace all around us.” So they built and had success.