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.

Forsothe Abia slepte with hise fadris, and thei birieden hym in the citee of Dauid; and Asa, his sone, regnede for hym. In whos daies the lond restide ten yeer.

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

And Asa dide that, that was good and plesaunt in the siyt of his God, and he destriede the auteris of straunge worschipyng, and `he destriede hiy places,

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 brak ymagis, and kittide doun woodis;

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 comaundide Juda to seke the Lord God of her fadris, and to do the lawe and alle comaundementis.

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 took awei fro alle the citees of Juda auteris and templis of idols, and he regnede in pees.

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 bildide stronge cytees in Juda; for he was in reste, and no batels risiden in his tymes, for the Lord yaf pees.

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.

Forsothe he seide to Juda, Bilde we these cytees, and cumpasse we with wallis, and strengthe we with touris and yatis and lockis, as longe as alle thingis ben restful fro batel; for we han souyte the Lord God of oure fadris, and he hath youe to vs pees bi cumpas. Therfor thei bildiden, and no lettyng was in bildyng.

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.

Sotheli Asa hadde in his oost thre hundrid thousynde of men of Juda berynge scheldis and speris, sotheli of Beniamyn he hadde two hundrid thousynde and fourscoore thousynde of scheeld beeris and of archeris; alle these weren ful stronge men.

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].

Forsothe Zara of Ethiop yede out ayens hem with his oost ten `sithis an hundrid thousynde, and with thre hundrid charis, and cam `til to Masera.

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

Certis Aza yede ayens hem, and araiede scheltrun to batel in the valei Sephata, which is bisidis Masera. And he inwardli clepide the Lord God,

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 seide, Lord, no dyuersitee is anentis thee, whether thou helpe in fewe, ethir in manye; oure Lord God, helpe thou vs, for we han trist in thee and in thi name, and camen ayens this multitude; Lord, thou art oure God, a man haue not the maistrye ayens thee.

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

Therfor the Lord made aferd Ethiopens bifor Asa and Juda, and Ethiopens fledden; and Asa and his puple,

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.

that was with hym, pursuede hem `til to Gerare. And Ethiopens felden doun `til to deeth, for thei weren al to-brokun bi the Lord sleynge, and bi his oost fiytynge. Therfor thei token many spuylis,

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 smitiden alle the citees `bi the cumpas of Gerare; for greet drede hadde assailid alle men. And thei rifliden cytees, and baren a weye myche prey;

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.

but also thei destrieden the fooldis of scheep, and token multitude without noumbre of scheep and of camels, and turneden ayen in to Jerusalem.