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.

UAbhiya waselala laboyise, bamngcwabela emzini kaDavida. UAsa indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe. Ensukwini zakhe ilizwe laba lokuthula iminyaka elitshumi.

2 Asa did things that Yahweh his God considers to be right and good.

UAsa wasesenza okuhle lokulungileyo emehlweni eNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe.

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.

Ngoba wasusa amalathi awemzini lendawo eziphakemeyo, wadiliza insika eziyizithombe, wagamula izixuku.

4 Asa commanded the people of Judah to worship [only] Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, and to obey his laws and commands.

Wasesithi kuJuda kabayidinge iNkosi, uNkulunkulu waboyise, lokuthi bagcine umthetho lomlayo.

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].

Wasesusa kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda indawo eziphakemeyo lamalathi okutshisela impepha. Lombuso waba lokuthula phambi kwakhe.

6 His workers built cities and constructed walls around them. No army attacked Judah during that time, because Yahweh enabled them to have peace.

Wasesakha imizi ebiyelweyo koJuda, ngoba ilizwe lalilokuthula, njalo kungelampi laye ngaleyominyaka, ngoba iNkosi yamphumuza.

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.

Wasesithi kuJuda: Asiyakheni limizi, siyizingelezele ngemiduli, lemiphotshongo, amasango, lemigoqo, ilizwe lisesephambi kwethu; ngoba siyidingile iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, siyidingile, yasinika ukuthula inhlangothi zonke. Basebesakha, baphumelela.

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.

Njalo uAsa wayelebutho labazinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amathathu abavela koJuda, bethwele ihawu lomkhonto, labazinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili abavela koBhenjamini bethwele isihlangu esikhulu benyathela idandili; bonke laba babengamaqhawe alamandla.

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].

UZera umEthiyophiya wasephuma ukumelana labo elebutho eliyinkulungwane yezinkulungwane lezinqola ezingamakhulu amathathu, wasefika eMaresha.

10 Asa went [with his army] to fight against them, and both armies took their positions in the Zephathah Valley.

UAsa wasephuma ukumelana laye, bahlela impi esihotsheni seZefatha eMaresha.

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.”

UAsa wasekhala eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakhe wathi: Nkosi, kakusilutho kuwe ukunceda, loba kwabanengi loba kwabangelamandla; sisize, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba seyeme kuwe; njalo ngebizo lakho sizemelana lalelixuku; Nkosi, wena unguNkulunkulu wethu; umuntu kangakwehluli.

12 Then Yahweh enabled Asa and the army of Judah to defeat the army from Ethiopia. They fled,

Ngakho iNkosi yawatshaya amaEthiyophiya phambi kukaAsa laphambi kukaJuda; amaEthiyophiya asebaleka.

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.

UAsa labantu ababelaye baxotshana lawo kwaze kwaba seGerari; kwasekusiwa kumaEthiyophiya okokuthi kakwaze kwaba lokuvuseleleka kiwo, ngoba acotshodiswa phambi kweNkosi laphambi kwebutho layo. Basebemuka lempango enengi kakhulu.

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.

Basebetshaya yonke imizi ezingelezele iGerari, ngoba uvalo lweNkosi lwaluphezu kwayo. Basebephanga yonke imizi, ngoba kwakulempango enengi kiyo.

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.

Basebetshaya lamathente ezifuyo, bathumba izimvu ezinengi lamakamela, babuyela eJerusalema.