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.

And he lay down Abijah with ancestors his and people buried him in [the] city of David and he became king Asa son his in place of him in days his it was at peace the land ten years.

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

And he did Asa the good and the right in [the] eyes of Yahweh God his.

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.

And he removed [the] altars of foreignness and the high places and he broke down the sacred pillars and he cut down the Asherah poles.

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

And he said to Judah to seek Yahweh [the] God of ancestors their and to observe the law and the commandment.

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].

And he removed from all [the] cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars and it was at peace the kingdom before him.

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

And he built cities of fortification in Judah for it was at peace the land and there not with him [was] war in the years these for he had given rest Yahweh to him.

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.

And he said to Judah let us build - the cities these and let us surround [them] wall and towers gates and bars still it the land [is] before us for we have sought Yahweh God our we sought [him] and he has given rest to us from round about and they built and they prospered.

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.

And it belonged to Asa an army bearing body shield[s] and spear[s] from Judah three hundred thousand. And of Benjamin [those who] carry a shield and [those who] bend a bow two hundred and eighty thousand all these [were] mighty [men] of strength.

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].

And he came out against them Zerah the Cushite with an army a thousand thousand and chariots three hundred and he came to Mareshah.

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

And he went out Asa before him and they drew up in formation battle in [the] valley of Zephathah to Mareshah.

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.”

And he called out Asa to Yahweh God his and he said O Yahweh there not [is] with you to help between great and not strength help us O Yahweh God our for on you we depend and in name your we have come on the multitude this O Yahweh [are] God our you may not he retain with you a man.

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

And he defeated Yahweh the Cushites before Asa and before Judah and they fled the Cushites.

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.

And he pursued them Asa and the people which [was] with him to to Gerar and it fell of [the] Cushites to not [belonged] to them preservation for they had been broken before Yahweh and before army his and they carried off booty much very.

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.

And they struck down all the cities around Gerar for it was [the] dread of Yahweh on them and they plundered all the cities for plunder much it was in them.

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.

And also [the] tents of livestock they struck down and they took captive sheep to abundance and camels and they returned Jerusalem.