2 Chronicles 14
1 When Abijah died, he was buried in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. His son Asa became the king. While Asa was ruling, there was peace in Judah for ten years.
Zo ontsliep Abia met zijn vaderen, en zij begroeven hem in de stad Davids, en zijn zoon Asa werd koning in zijn plaats. In zijn dagen was het land tien jaren stil.
2 Asa did things that Yahweh his God considers to be right and good.
En Asa deed dat goed en dat recht was in de ogen des HEEREN, zijns Gods.
3 His workers got rid of the altars to worship foreign gods that were on the high hills. They smashed the sacred stone pillars and cut down the poles for worshiping [the goddess] Asherah.
Want hij nam de altaren der vreemden, en de hoogten weg, en brak de opgerichte beelden, en hieuw de bossen af.
4 Asa commanded the people of Judah to worship [only] Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, and to obey his laws and commands.
En hij zeide tot Juda, dat zij den HEERE, den God hunner vaderen, zoeken, en dat zij de wet en het gebod doen zouden.
5 His workers destroyed all the shrines on the hilltops and the altars for burning incense [to idols] in every town in Judah. As a result, there was peace while Asa ruled the kingdom [of Judah].
Hij nam ook weg uit alle steden van Juda de hoogten en de zonnebeelden; en het koninkrijk was voor hem stil.
6 His workers built cities and constructed walls around them. No army attacked Judah during that time, because Yahweh enabled them to have peace.
Daartoe bouwde hij vaste steden in Juda; want het land was stil, en er was geen oorlog in die jaren tegen hem, dewijl de HEERE hem rust gaf.
7 Asa said to the people of Judah, “We should protect these towns by building walls around them, with watchtowers and gates that have bars. This country still belongs to us because we have requested Yahweh our God to help us. We requested him for his help, and he has given us peace in our entire country.” So they built buildings and prospered.
Want hij zeide tot Juda: Laat ons deze steden bouwen, en muren daarom trekken, en torens, deuren en grendelen, terwijl het land nog is voor ons aangezicht; want wij hebben den HEERE, onzen God, gezocht, wij hebben Hem gezocht, en Hij heeft ons rondom henen rust gegeven. Zo bouwden zij en hadden voorspoed.
8 Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah. They all carried large shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from the tribe of Benjamin [in his army]. They carried [smaller] shields, and bows [and arrows]. They were all brave soldiers.
Asa nu had een heir van driehonderd duizend uit Juda, rondas en spies dragende, en tweehonderd en tachtig duizend uit Benjamin, het schild dragende en den boog spannende; al dezen waren kloeke helden.
9 Zerah, a man from Ethiopia/Sudan, marched with a huge army and 300 chariots to attack [the army of Judah and Benjamin]. They went as far as [the town of] Mareshah [about 25 miles/southwest of Jerusalem].
En Zerah, de Moor, kwam tegen hen uit, met een heir van duizend maal duizend, en driehonderd wagenen; en hij kwam tot Maresa toe.
10 Asa went [with his army] to fight against them, and both armies took their positions in the Zephathah Valley.
Toen toog Asa tegen hem uit; en zij stelden de slagorde in het dal Zefatha bij Maresa.
11 Then Asa cried out to Yahweh his God, saying, “Yahweh, there is no one like you who can help those who have very little power to resist a mighty army. Yahweh our God, help us, because we are relying on you; and trusting in you we have come [to fight] against this huge army. Yahweh, you are our God; do not allow anyone to defeat you.”
En Asa riep tot den HEERE, zijn God, en zeide: HEERE, het is niets bij U, te helpen hetzij den machtige, hetzij den krachteloze; help ons, o HEERE, onze God! Want wij steunen op U, en in Uw Naam zijn wij gekomen tegen deze menigte; o HEERE! Gij zijt onze God; laat den sterfelijken mens tegen U niets vermogen.
12 Then Yahweh enabled Asa and the army of Judah to defeat the army from Ethiopia. They fled,
En de HEERE plaagde de Moren voor Asa en voor Juda; en de Moren vloden.
13 and Asa and his army pursued them [to the southwest] as far as Gerar. A huge number of the soldiers from Ethiopia were killed, with the result that those [who were not killed] were unable to fight any more. They were greatly defeated by Yahweh and his army, and the men of Judah carried away a great amount of their possessions.
Asa nu en het volk, dat met hem was, jaagden hen na tot Gerar toe; en zo velen vielen er van de Moren, dat er voor hen geen hervatting was; want zij waren verbroken voor den HEERE en voor Zijn leger; en zij droegen zeer veel roofs daarvan.
14 The men of Judah were able to destroy the people in villages near Gerar because Yahweh had caused the people there to become terrified [and unable to fight]. The army of Judah took away all the valuable things from those villages.
En zij sloegen alle steden rondom Gerar; want de verschrikking des HEEREN was over hen; en zij beroofden al de steden, omdat veel roofs in dezelve was.
15 They also attacked the places where the local people who took care of domestic animals had set up their tents, and they took away big herds of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
En zij sloegen ook de tenten van het vee, en voerden weg schapen in menigte, en kemelen; en kwamen weder te Jeruzalem.
