2 Imilando 14
1 Ngakho u-Abhija waya kubokhokho bakhe wembelwa eMzini kaDavida. Indodana yakhe u-Asa wathatha isikhundla sakhe waba yinkosi, njalo ngezinsuku zokubusa kwakhe kwaba lokuthula elizweni okweminyaka elitshumi.
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.
2 U-Asa wenza okuhle lokulungileyo phambi kukaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe.
Asa did things that Yahweh his God considers to be right and good.
3 Wasusa wonke ama-alithare ezizweni lezindawo zokukhonzela, wadiliza izinsika zakhona lezithombe zikankulunkulukazi u-Ashera.
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.
4 Walaya abakoJuda ukuba bakhonze uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, balandele yonke imithetho lemilayo yakhe.
Asa commanded the people of Judah to worship [only] Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, and to obey his laws and commands.
5 Wavala izindawo zokukhonzela lama-alithare empepha kuwo wonke amadolobho akoJuda, ngakho kwaba lokuthula ekubuseni kwakhe.
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].
6 Wakha imizi ebiyelweyo koJuda, njengoba kwakulokuthula elizweni. Kakho owalwa impi laye ngaleyominyaka, ngoba uThixo wamnika ukuphumula.
His workers built cities and constructed walls around them. No army attacked Judah during that time, because Yahweh enabled them to have peace.
7 Wathi kwabakoJuda, “Kasakheni imizi le siyizingelezele ngemiduli, lemiphotshongo, lamasango leminxibo. Ilizwe lilokhu lingelethu, ngoba simtholile uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu; simkhonzile usesilethele ukuthula inxa zonke.” Basebesakha njalo baphumelela.
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.
8 U-Asa wayelamabutho empi azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amathathu koJuda, ayehlome ngamahawu amakhulu lemikhonto, lamanye azinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili alamatshumi ayisificaminwembili koBhenjamini, ayehlome ngezihlangu ezincinyane lamadandili. Wonke kungamadoda alezibindi zokulwa.
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.
9 UZera umKhushi waphuma ebathukuthelele ephelekezelwa libutho elikhulu lezinqola zokulwa ezingamakhulu amathathu, waze wayafika eMaresha.
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].
10 U-Asa waphuma laye ukuyamjamela, bafika bajama eSigodini saseZefatha phansi kweMaresha.
Asa went [with his army] to fight against them, and both armies took their positions in the Zephathah Valley.
11 U-Asa wasekhuleka kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe wathi: “Thixo, kakho omunye onjengawe ongavikela ababuthakathaka kwabalamandla. Sisize, Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu wethu, ngoba thina sithembele kuwe, ngebizo lakho siphumile ukuba silwe lalelibutho lempi elikhulu kangaka. Oh Thixo, unguNkulunkulu wethu; umuntu angezake amelane lawe.”
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.”
12 UThixo wawatshaya wawabhuqa amaKhushi phambi kuka-Asa labakoJuda. AmaKhushi abaleka,
Then Yahweh enabled Asa and the army of Judah to defeat the army from Ethiopia. They fled,
13 kodwa u-Asa lamabutho akhe waxotshana lawo waze wayawafikisa eGerari. Kwafa amaKhushi amanengi okokuthi kasazange azame ukuqoqana kutsha; abhuqwa phambi kukaThixo laphambi kwamabutho akhe. Amadoda akoJuda atshuquluza impango enengi kakhulu.
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.
14 Atshabalalisa yonke imizi yaseGerari, ngoba ukuthukuthela kukaThixo kwakuphezu kwayo. Atshuquluza yonke imizi ngoba impango yayinengi kuyo.
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.
15 Ahlasela izihonqo zabelusi njalo abutha imihlambi yezimvu, imbuzi kanye lamakamela. Asebuyela eJerusalema.
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.
