2 Chronicles 14

Modern

Literal

Asa Reigns in Judah

¹Then Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place, and in his days the land was at peace for ten years.

¹And Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

²And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

²And Asa did the good and the right in the eyes of YHWH his God,

³He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles.

³and he turned aside the altars of the stranger and the high places, and he broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles,

⁴He commanded the people of Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandments.

⁴and He commanded Judah to seek YHWH, God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.

⁵He also removed the high places and incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and under him the kingdom was at peace.

⁵And He removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars; and the kingdom was quiet under him.

⁶Because the land was at peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah. In those days no one made war with him, because the LORD had given him rest.

⁶And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest, and there was not war with him in these years, because YHWH had given rest to him.

⁷So he said to the people of Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

⁷And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make around them walls and towers, doors and bars, while the land is before our face, because we have sought YHWH our God. We have sought Him and He has given us rest on every side.” And they built and prospered.

⁸Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin bearing small shields and drawing the bow. All these were mighty men of valor.

⁸And there was unto Asa a force bearing shields and spears: From Judah three hundred thousand, and from Benjamin, men who carried shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand. All these were mighty men of valor.

⁹Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300^a chariots, and they advanced as far as Mareshah.

⁹And came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a thousand thousands, and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah.

¹⁰So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.^a

¹⁰And Asa went out against him for battle, and they arrayed in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

¹¹Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.”

¹¹And Asa cried out to YHWH his God and said, “O YHWH, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with no power. Help us, O YHWH our God, for on You we rest, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O YHWH, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.”

¹²So the LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled.

¹²And YHWH struck the Cushites before Asa, and before Judah, and the Cushites fled.

¹³Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder

¹³And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as to Gerar, and there fell the Cushites, and there was no preservation for them, for they were broken before YHWH and His army. And they carried away exceedingly much plunder.

¹⁴and attacked all the cities around Gerar, because the terror of the LORD had fallen upon them. They plundered all the cities, since there was much plunder there.

¹⁴And they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for the dread of YHWH came upon them, and they plundered all the cities. For there was much spoil in them.

¹⁵They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and carried off many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁵And also they struck the tents of the livestock, and they carried off sheep in abundance, and camels, and they returned to Jerusalem.