2 Chronicles 14 – NIV & AKCB

New International Version

2 Chronicles 14:1-15

In Hebrew texts 14:1 is numbered 13:23, and 14:2-15 is numbered 14:1-14. 1And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years.

Asa King of Judah

2Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.14:3 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Chronicles 4He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. 5He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. 6He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.

7“Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

8Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

9Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”

12The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. 14They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. 15They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

2 Beresosɛm 14:1-15

Asa Ahenni Mfiase

1Abia wu ma wosiee no wɔ Dawid kurom. Ne babarima Asa na odii nʼade sɛ ɔhene. Asomdwoe baa asase no so mfe du. 2Asa yɛɛ nea ɛsɔ Awurade, ne Nyankopɔn no, ani. 3Otutuu abosonsomfo afɔremuka ne wɔn abosonnan nyinaa gui. Odwiriw wɔn afadum, twitwaa Asera nnua nyinaa. 4Ɔhyɛɛ ɔmanfo a wɔwɔ Yuda se, wɔnhwehwɛ Awurade, wɔn agyanom Nyankopɔn no, na wonni ne mmara ne nʼahyɛde nyinaa so. 5Asa san bubuu abosonnan ne nnuhuam afɔremuka fii Yuda nkurow nyinaa mu. Ɛno nti, wonyaa asomdwoe wɔ Asa ahenni mu. 6Saa asomdwoe mfe no mu no, otumi siesiee bammɔ nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ Yudaman mu nyinaa. Obiara anyɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛko atia no saa bere yi, efisɛ na Awurade rema no ahomegye wɔ nʼatamfo nsam.

7Asa ka kyerɛɛ Yudafo se, “Momma yɛnkyekye nkurow, na yentwa afasu mfa ho mfa mmɔ ho ban. Yɛbɛyɛ abantenten, asisi apon, ayɛ nnadeban nso. Asase no yɛ yɛn dea, efisɛ yɛsrɛɛ Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn, na wama yɛn ahomegye wɔ yɛn atamfo nsam.” Enti wɔkɔɔ so yɛɛ saa nnwuma yi de baa awiei.

8Na ɔhene Asa wɔ akofo mpem ahaasa a wofi Yuda abusuakuw mu a wɔwɔ nkatabo ne mpeaw akɛse. Afei, na ɔwɔ akofo mpem ahannu aduɔwɔtwe a wofi Benyamin abusua mu a wokurakura nkatabo ne agyan nketewa. Na akofo akokodurufo wɔ saa asraafodɔm abien yi mu.

9Bere bi, Etiopiani bi a wɔfrɛ no Serah de asraafodɔm ɔpepem baako ne nteaseɛnam ahaasa, kɔtow hyɛɛ Yuda so. Wɔkɔ koduu Maresa kuropɔn mu. 10Asa nso boaa nʼakofo ano ne wɔn kɔkoo wɔ Sefata bon mu a ɛbɛn Maresa.

11Asa teɛɛ mu, frɛɛ Awurade ne Nyankopɔn se, “Awurade, wo nko ara na wubetumi aboa nea ɔyɛ mmerɛw na watumi ako atia ɔhoɔdenfo! Boa yɛn, Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn, efisɛ wo nko ara ne yɛn anidaso. Wo din mu na yɛrehyia dɔm kɛse yi. Awurade, woyɛ yɛn Nyankopɔn, na mma kwan mma nnipa teta nsɔre ntia wo!”

12Na Awurade dii Etiopiafo no so nkonim wɔ Asa ne Yuda asraafodɔm no anim, na atamfo no guanee. 13Asa ne nʼakofo no taa wɔn ara kosii Gerar, maa Etiopiafo no bebree totɔe a wɔantumi ammoa wɔn ho ano. Awurade ne nʼakofo dwerɛw wɔn, na Yuda asraafo no nyaa asade bebree kɔe. 14Bere a wɔwɔ Gerar no, wɔtow hyɛɛ nkurow a ɛwɔ beae hɔ nyinaa so, na Awurade ho huboa tɔɔ nnipa a wɔwɔ hɔ no so. Awiei no, wonyaa asade bebree wɔ saa nkurow no so nso. 15Wɔsan tow hyɛɛ mmoahwɛfo atenae, kyekyeree nguan ne yoma, ansa na wɔresan akɔ Yerusalem.