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.
Και εκοιμήθη ο Αβιά μετά των πατέρων αυτού, και έθαψαν αυτόν εν πόλει Δαβίδ· εβασίλευσε δε αντ' αυτού Ασά ο υιός αυτού. Εν ταις ημέραις αυτού η γη ησύχασε δέκα έτη.
2 Asa did things that Yahweh his God considers to be right and good.
Και έκαμεν ο Ασά το καλόν και το ευθές ενώπιον Κυρίου του Θεού αυτού·
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.
διότι αφήρεσε τα θυσιαστήρια των αλλοτρίων θεών και τους υψηλούς τόπους, και κατεσύντριψε τα αγάλματα και κατέκοψε τα άλση·
4 Asa commanded the people of Judah to worship [only] Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, and to obey his laws and commands.
και είπε προς τον Ιούδαν να εκζητώσι Κύριον τον Θεόν των πατέρων αυτών και να κάμνωσι τον νόμον και τας εντολάς.
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].
Αφήρεσεν έτι από πασών των πόλεων του Ιούδα τους υψηλούς τόπους και τα είδωλα· και ησύχασε το βασίλειον ενώπιον αυτού.
6 His workers built cities and constructed walls around them. No army attacked Judah during that time, because Yahweh enabled them to have peace.
Και ωκοδόμησε πόλεις οχυράς εν τω Ιούδα· διότι ησύχασεν η γη, και δεν ήτο εις αυτόν πόλεμος εν εκείνοις τοις χρόνοις, επειδή ο Κύριος έδωκεν εις αυτόν ανάπαυσιν.
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.
Διά τούτο είπε προς τον Ιούδαν, Ας οικοδομήσωμεν τας πόλεις ταύτας, και ας κάμωμεν περί αυτάς τείχη και πύργους, πύλας και μοχλούς, ενώ είμεθα κύριοι της γης, επειδή εξεζητήσαμεν Κύριον τον Θεόν ημών· εξεζητήσαμεν αυτόν, και έδωκεν εις ημάς ανάπαυσιν κυκλόθεν. Και ωκοδόμησαν και ευωδώθησαν.
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.
Είχε δε ο Ασά στράτευμα εκ του Ιούδα τριακοσίας χιλιάδας, φέροντας θυρεούς και λόγχας· εκ δε του Βενιαμίν, διακοσίας ογδοήκοντα χιλιάδας, ασπιδοφόρους και τοξότας· πάντες ούτοι ήσαν δυνατοί εν ισχύϊ.
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].
Εξήλθε δε εναντίον αυτών Ζερά ο Αιθίοψ, με στράτευμα εκατόν μυριάδων και με τριακοσίας αμάξας, και ήλθεν έως Μαρησά.
10 Asa went [with his army] to fight against them, and both armies took their positions in the Zephathah Valley.
Και εξήλθεν ο Ασά εναντίον αυτού, και παρετάχθησαν εις μάχην εν τη φάραγγι Σεφαθά, πλησίον της Μαρησά.
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.”
Και εβόησεν ο Ασά προς Κύριον τον Θεόν αυτού και είπε, Κύριε, δεν είναι ουδέν παρά σοι να βοηθής τους έχοντας πολλήν ή μηδεμίαν δύναμιν· βοήθησον ημάς, Κύριε Θεέ ημών· διότι επί σε πεποίθαμεν, και εν τω ονόματί σου ερχόμεθα εναντίον του πλήθους τούτου. Κύριε, συ είσαι ο Θεός ημών· ας μη υπερισχύση άνθρωπος εναντίον σου.
12 Then Yahweh enabled Asa and the army of Judah to defeat the army from Ethiopia. They fled,
Και επάταξεν ο Κύριος τους Αιθίοπας έμπροσθεν του Ασά και έμπροσθεν του Ιούδα· και οι Αιθίοπες έφυγον.
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.
Ο δε Ασά και ο λαός ο μετ' αυτού κατεδίωξαν αυτούς έως Γεράρων· και έπεσον εκ των Αιθιόπων τοσούτοι, ώστε δεν ηδύναντο να αναλάβωσι πλέον· διότι συνετρίβησαν έμπροσθεν του Κυρίου και έμπροσθεν του στρατεύματος αυτού· και έλαβον λάφυρα πολλά σφόδρα.
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.
Και επάταξαν πάσας τας πόλεις κύκλω των Γεράρων· διότι ο φόβος του Κυρίου επέπεσεν επ' αυτούς· και ελαφυραγώγησαν πάσας τας πόλεις· διότι ήσαν εν αυταίς λάφυρα πολλά.
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.
Επάταξαν δε και τας επαύλεις των ποιμνίων και έλαβον πρόβατα πολλά και καμήλους, και επέστρεψαν εις Ιερουσαλήμ.
