2 Chronicles, 14

1. So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

1. Asa did what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh.

2. And Asa did [that which was] good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:

2. He removed the altars of foreign worship and the High places. He broke down the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah's trunks.

3. For he took away the altars of the strange [gods], and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

3. He commanded the people of Judah to do the will of Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and to observe the Law and its commands.

4. And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

4. He removed the High places and the altars of incense in every town of Judah. The kingdom was at peace under his rule.

5. Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

5. He rebuilt the fortified towns of Judah, since the country was at peace, and there was no war during those years, for Yahweh granted him peace.

6. And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.

6. He told the people of Judah, "Let us rebuild these towns and surround them with walls and towers, with gates and bars while we have control of this land, since we have done the will of Yahweh our God; and he has protected us and given us peace on every side."

7. Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about [them] walls, and towers, gates, and bars, [while] the land [is] yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought [him], and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

7. They built and prospered. Asa had an army of three hundred thousand Judaeans armed with buckler and spear, and two hundred eighty thousand Benjaminites bearing shield and wielding the bow, all of them brave, well-trained men.

8. And Asa had an army [of men] that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these [were] mighty men of valour.

8. Zerah the Cushite, with an army one million strong and three hundred chariots, made an incursion which reached to Mareshah.

9. And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.

9. Asa marched against him and drew up his battle line in the Valley of Zephathah, at Mareshah.

10. Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

10. He called on Yahweh, his God, "Yahweh, no one but you can stand up for the powerless against the powerful. Come to our help, Yahweh our God! We rely on you, and fight against this huge army in your name. Yahweh, you are our God. Let no one defeat you."

11. And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, [it is] nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou [art] our God; let not man prevail against thee.

11. Yahweh defeated the Cushites when Asa and the Judaean army attacked them. The Cushites fled,

12. So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

12. and Asa pursued them with his army as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell even to the last for they had been overpowered by Yahweh and his camp. They collected great amounts of loot.

13. And Asa and the people that [were] with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.

13. They conquered all the towns in the area of Gerar, for the terror of Yahweh had fallen on these towns and they plundered them all since they were full of loot.

14. And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

14. They also attacked the camps of some shepherds and carried off great numbers of sheep and camels; then they returned to Jerusalem.

15. They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

15.