2 Nyakati 14
1 Naye Abiya akalala na baba zake, akazikwa katika Mji wa Daudi. Asa mwanawe akawa mfalme baada yake. Katika siku zake, nchi ikawa na amani kwa miaka kumi.
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 Asa akatenda yaliyo mema na haki machoni pa Bwana Mungu wake.
Asa did things that Yahweh his God considers to be right and good.
3 Akaziondoa madhabahu za kigeni na mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu, akayavunja yale mawe ya kuabudiwa na kuzikatakata nguzo za Maashera.
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 Akawaamuru Yuda kumtafuta Bwana, Mungu wa baba zao na kutii sheria zake na amri zake.
Asa commanded the people of Judah to worship [only] Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, and to obey his laws and commands.
5 Akaondoa mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu na madhabahu za kufukizia uvumba kwenye kila mji katika Yuda, nao ufalme ulikuwa na amani katika utawala wake.
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 Akajenga miji yenye ngome katika Yuda, wakati nchi ikiwa na amani. Hakuna mtu yeyote aliyepigana vita naye katika miaka hiyo, kwa kuwa Bwana alimstarehesha.
His workers built cities and constructed walls around them. No army attacked Judah during that time, because Yahweh enabled them to have peace.
7 Mfalme akawaambia Yuda, “Tuijenge hii miji na tuizungushie kuta, pamoja na minara, malango na makomeo. Nchi bado ni yetu, kwa sababu tumemtafuta Bwana Mungu wetu, tulimtafuta naye ametupa raha kila upande.” Hivyo wakajenga na wakafanikiwa.
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 Asa alikuwa na jeshi la watu 300,000 kutoka Yuda, wenye ngao kubwa na mikuki na jeshi la watu 280,000 kutoka Benyamini, wenye ngao ndogo na pinde. Watu hawa wote walikuwa wapiganaji mashujaa.
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 Zera Mkushi akatoka kupigana dhidi yao akiwa na jeshi la watu maelfu ya maelfu na magari ya vita 300, nao wakaja mpaka Maresha.
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 Asa akatoka kumkabili, nao wakapanga vita katika Bonde la Sefatha karibu na Maresha.
Asa went [with his army] to fight against them, and both armies took their positions in the Zephathah Valley.
11 Kisha Asa akamlilia Bwana Mungu wake na kusema, “Ee Bwana, hakuna yeyote aliye kama wewe wa kuwasaidia wasio na nguvu dhidi ya wenye nguvu. Utusaidie, Ee Bwana, wewe ndiwe Mungu wetu, kwa kuwa tunakutumainia wewe, nasi kwa jina lako tumekuja dhidi ya jeshi hili kubwa. Ee Bwana, wewe ndiwe Mungu wetu, usiwaache wanadamu wakushinde wewe.”
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 Bwana akawapiga Wakushi mbele ya Asa na Yuda. Wakushi wakakimbia,
Then Yahweh enabled Asa and the army of Judah to defeat the army from Ethiopia. They fled,
13 naye Asa na jeshi lake wakawafuatia mpaka Gerari. Idadi kubwa ya Wakushi ilianguka hata wasiweze kuinuka tena, wakapondapondwa mbele za Bwana na majeshi yake.
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 Watu wa Yuda wakachukua nyara nyingi sana, wakaangamiza vijiji vyote vinavyoizunguka Gerari, kwa kuwa hofu ya Bwana ilikuwa imewaangukia. Wakateka nyara vijiji hivi vyote, kwani kulikuwepo nyara nyingi huko.
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 Pia wakashambulia kambi za wachunga makundi ya wanyama wakachukua na kuyaswaga makundi ya kondoo, mbuzi na ngamia. Kisha wakarudi Yerusalemu.
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.
