< 2 Chronicles 14 >
1 And Abijah lies with his fathers, and they bury him in the City of David, and his son Asa reigns in his stead. In his days the land was quiet [for] ten years.
So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his position. In his days the land was quiet ten years.
2 And Asa does that which is good and that which is right in the eyes of his God YHWH,
And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:
3 and turns aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaks the standing-pillars, and cuts down the Asherim,
For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:
4 and commands to Judah to seek YHWH, God of their fathers, and to do the Law and the command;
And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
5 and he turns aside the high places and the images out of all cities of Judah, and the kingdom is quiet before him.
Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6 And he builds cities of bulwarks in Judah, for the land has quiet; and there is no war with him in these years, because YHWH has given rest to him.
And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.
7 And he says to Judah, “Let us build these cities, and surround [them] with wall, and towers, double gates, and bars, while the land [is] before us, because we have sought our God YHWH, we have sought, and He gives rest to us all around”; and they build and prosper.
Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; 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 And Asa has a force of three hundred thousand from Judah carrying buckler and spear, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin carrying shield and treading bow; all these [are] mighty men of valor.
And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.
9 And Zerah the Cushite comes out to them with a force of one million [men] and three hundred chariots, and he comes to Mareshah,
And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.
10 and Asa goes out before him, and they set in array [for] battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
11 And Asa calls to his God YHWH and says, “YHWH, it is nothing for You to help, between the mighty and those who have no power; help us, O YHWH, our God, for we have leaned on You, and in Your Name we have come against this multitude; O YHWH, You [are] our God; do not let mortal man prevail against You!”
And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with you to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on you, and in your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let no man prevail against you.
12 And YHWH strikes the Cushim before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushim flee,
So the LORD stroke the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
13 and Asa and the people who [are] with him pursue them even to Gerar, and there falls [many] from the Cushim, for they have no preserving, because they have been broken before YHWH and before His camp; and [those of Judah] carry away very much spoil,
And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.
14 and strike all the cities around Gerar, for a fear of YHWH has been on them, and they spoil all the cities, for abundant spoil has been in them;
And they stroke all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
15 and they have also struck tents of livestock, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and return to Jerusalem.
They stroke also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.