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.
Asa ọba Juda
1Abijah sì sùn pẹ̀lú àwọn baba rẹ̀, a sì sin ín ní ìlú Dafidi. Asa ọmọ rẹ̀ sì jẹ ọba ní ipò rẹ̀. Ní àwọn ọjọ́ rẹ̀, orílẹ̀-èdè wà ní àlàáfíà fún ọdún mẹ́wàá.
2Asa ṣe ohun tí ó dára, tí ó sì tọ́ ní ojú Olúwa Ọlọ́run rẹ̀. 3Ó gbé àwọn pẹpẹ àjèjì kúrò àti àwọn ibi gíga. Ó fọ́ àwọn òkúta tí a yà sọ́tọ̀, ó sì gé àwọn ère Aṣerah bolẹ̀. 4Ó pa á láṣẹ fún Juda láti wá Olúwa Ọlọ́run àwọn baba a wọn àti láti tẹ̀lé àwọn òfin rẹ̀ àti àṣẹ. 5Ó gbé àwọn ibi gíga kúrò àti àwọn pẹpẹ tùràrí ní gbogbo ìlú ní Juda. Ìjọba sì wà ní àlàáfíà ní abẹ́ rẹ̀. 6Ó mọ àwọn ìlú ààbò ti Juda, níwọ̀n ìgbà tí ìlú ti wà ní àlàáfíà. Kò sí ẹnikẹ́ni ti o jagun pẹ̀lú rẹ̀ nígbà náà, nítorí Olúwa fún un ní ìsinmi.
7“Ẹ jẹ́ kí a kọ́ àwọn ìlú wọ̀nyí” Ó wí fún Juda, “Kí ẹ sì mọ odi yí wọn ká pẹ̀lú àwọn ilé ìṣọ́ gíga, àwọn ẹnu-ọ̀nà òde, àti àwọn ìpẹ́ẹ̀rẹ̀. Ilé náà ti wà, nítorí a ti béèrè lọ́wọ́ Olúwa Ọlọ́run wa; a béèrè lọ́wọ́ rẹ̀, ó sì ti fún wa ní ìsinmi ní gbogbo ọ̀nà.” Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni wọ́n kọ́ ọ, wọn sì ṣe rere.
8Asa ní àwọn ọmọ-ogun ti ó jẹ́ ọ̀kẹ́ mẹ́ẹ̀ẹ́dógún (300,000) àwọn ọkùnrin láti Juda. Pẹ̀lú àwọn ohun èlò àwọn àpáta ńlá àti ọ̀kọ̀ àti ọ̀kẹ́ mẹ́rìnlá (280,000) láti Benjamini wọ́n dira pẹ̀lú àwọn apata kéékèèkéé àti àwọn ọrun. Gbogbo àwọn wọ̀nyí jẹ́ ògbójú jagunjagun ọkùnrin.
9Sera ará Etiopia yàn láti dojúkọ wọ́n, pẹ̀lú ọ̀pọ̀ ọmọ-ogun pẹ̀lú ọgọ́rùn-ún mẹ́ta kẹ̀kẹ́, wọ́n sì wá láti jìnnà réré bí Meraṣa. 10Asa jáde lọ láti lọ bá a. Wọ́n sì mú ibi ogun ní pẹ̀tẹ́lẹ̀ Sefata lẹ́bàá Meraṣa.
11Nígbà náà, Asa ké pe Olúwa Ọlọ́run baba a rẹ̀, ó sì wí pé “Olúwa kò sí ẹnìkan bí rẹ láti rán aláìlágbára lọ́wọ́ láti dójú kọ alágbára. Ràn wá lọ́wọ́, Olúwa Ọlọ́run wa, nítorí tí àwa gbẹ́kẹ̀lé ọ àti ní orúkọ rẹ ni àwa fi wá láti dojúkọ àwọn ọ̀pọ̀ ọmọ-ogun yìí. Olúwa, ìwọ ni Ọlọ́run wa; má ṣe jẹ́ kí ènìyàn kó ṣẹ́gun rẹ.”
12Olúwa lu àwọn ará Kuṣi bolẹ̀ níwájú Asa àti Juda. Àwọn ará Kuṣi sálọ. 13Asa àti àwọn ọmọ-ogun rẹ̀ sá tẹ̀lé wọn ní jìnnà réré sí Gerari. Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀, àwọn ará Kuṣi ṣubú, wọn kò sì le sán padà mọ́. Wọn rún wọn mọ́lẹ̀ níwájú Olúwa àti ọmọ-ogun rẹ̀. Àwọn ọkùnrin Juda kó ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ìkógun. 14Wọ́n pa gbogbo àwọn ìletò tí ó wà ní ẹ̀bá Gerari, nítorí tí ìpayà Olúwa ti sọ̀kalẹ̀ sórí wọn. Wọ́n kó gbogbo ìkógun àwọn ìletò yìí lọ, níwọ̀n ìgbà tí ọ̀pọ̀ ìkógun ti wà níbẹ̀. 15Wọ́n kọlu àwọn ibùdó àwọn darandaran, wọ́n sì gbé àwọn ọ̀wọ́ ẹran àgùntàn àti àwọn ewúrẹ́ àti àwọn ìbákasẹ. Nígbà náà wọ́n padà sí Jerusalẹmu.
