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.
Abijah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. Asa, his son, became king in his place. 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,
Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh 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 foreign altars and the high places. He broke down the stone pillars and cut down the Asherah poles.
4 and commands to Judah to seek YHWH, God of their fathers, and to do the Law and the command;
He commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and to carry out the law and the commandments.
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 the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. The kingdom had rest under 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.
He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him peace.
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.
For Asa said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is still ours because we have sought Yahweh our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and succeeded.
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.
Asa had an army that carried shields and spears; from Judah he had 300,000 men, and from Benjamin, 280,000 men who carried shields and drew bows. All of these were mighty men.
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,
Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million soldiers and three hundred chariots; he came to 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 to meet him, and they set the battle lines in order 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!”
Asa cried to Yahweh, his God, and said, “Yahweh, there is no one but you to help one who has no strength when he is facing many. Help us, Yahweh our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast number. Yahweh, you are our God; do not let man defeat you.”
12 And YHWH strikes the Cushim before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushim flee,
So Yahweh struck the Cushites before Asa and Judah; the Cushites 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,
Asa and the soldiers with him pursued them to Gerar. So many Cushites fell that they could not recover, for they were completely destroyed before Yahweh and his army. The army carried away very much plunder.
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;
The army destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for terror of Yahweh had come on the inhabitants. The army plundered all the villages, and there was much booty in them.
15 and they have also struck tents of livestock, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and return to Jerusalem.
The army also destroyed the tent settlements of the shepherding nomads; they carried away sheep in abundance, as well as camels, and then they returned to Jerusalem.
