1 Un Asa darīja to, kas ir labs un kas ir taisnīgs Tā Kunga, viņa Dieva, acīs. 2 Un viņš izdeldēja svešo dievu altārus un elku augstienes, un viņš nolauza elku stabus un nocirta elku kokus. 3 Un viņš skubināja Jūdu meklēt To Kungu, viņu tēvu Dievu, un pildīt bauslību un pavēles. 4 Un viņš iznīdēja visās Jūdas pilsētās elku augstienes un saules stabus, un ķēniņa valstij zem viņa bija miers. 5 Un viņš Jūdā uzcēla stipri nocietinātas pilsētas, jo zeme baudīja mieru, un tajos gados pret viņu nebija nekāda kara, jo Tas Kungs bija viņam piešķīris mieru. 6 Un viņš sacīja Jūdam: "Uzcelsim šīs pilsētas un uzmūrēsim tām apkārt mūrus un torņus un darināsim vārtus un aizšaujamās bultas! Vēl taču zeme ir mūsu, jo mēs esam To Kungu, mūsu Dievu, meklējuši; mēs esam Viņu meklējuši, un Viņš mums visapkārt ir devis mieru." Un tā viņi cēla un zēla. 7 Un Asam bija karaspēks no Jūdas, tādu, kas nesa lielos vairogus un šķēpus, trīs simti tūkstošu, un no Benjamīna apgabala, kas nesa vieglo vairogu un šāva ar lokiem, - divi simti astoņdesmit tūkstošu, un šie visi bija varonīgi karotāji. 8 Un kušietis Zerahs devās pret viņiem uzbrukumā ar tūkstošu tūkstošiem karavīru un ar trīs simti kara ratiem un atnāca līdz Marešai. 9 Bet Asa devās viņiem pretī, un tie sakārtojās kaujai Cefatas ielejā pie Marešas. 10 Un Asa piesauca To Kungu, savu Dievu, un sacīja: "Ak, Kungs! Neviena nav kā vienīgi Tu cīņā starp to, kam ir daudz spēka un kuram nav nekāda spēka. Palīdzi mums, ak, Kungs, mūsu Dievs, jo mēs paļaujamies uz Tevi un mēs esam Tavā Vārdā devušies cīņā pret šo lielo pulku! Ak, Kungs! Tu esi mūsu Dievs, lai neviens cilvēks Tev līdzās nepastāv!" 11 Un Tas Kungs tā sita kušītus - gan Asas paša, gan Jūdas priekšā, ka kušīti metās bēgt. 12 Bet Asa ar to karotāju saimi, kas bija pie viņa, dzinās tiem pakaļ līdz pat Gerārai, un kušīti krita, tā ka neviens no tiem nepalika dzīvs, jo tie tika Tā Kunga un Viņa karapulka salauzti. Un Jūda ieguva ļoti lielu kara laupījumu, 13 un viņi iznīcināja visas pilsētas visapkārt Gerārai, jo tās bija pārņēmušas bailes Tā Kunga priekšā; viņi izlaupīja arī visas pilsētas, jo tanīs atradās daudz laupījuma. 14 Viņi ielauzās arī lopu turētāju teltīs un aizveda lielu skaitu sīklopu un kamieļu kā laupījumu, un tad viņi atgriezās atpakaļ Jeruzālemē.
King Asa Defeats the Ethiopians
1 King Abijah died and was buried in the royal tombs in David's City. His son Asa succeeded him as king, and under Asa the land enjoyed peace for ten years. 2 Asa pleased the Lord, his God, by doing what was right and good. 3 He removed the foreign altars and the pagan places of worship, broke down the sacred stone columns, and cut down the symbols of the goddess Asherah. 4 He commanded the people of Judah to do the will of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his teachings and commands. 5 Because he abolished the pagan places of worship and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, the kingdom was at peace under his rule. 6 He built fortifications for the cities of Judah during this time, and for several years there was no war, because the Lord gave him peace. 7 He told the people of Judah, “Let us fortify the cities by building walls and towers, and gates that can be shut and barred. We have control of the land because we have done the will of the Lord our God. He has protected us and given us security on every side.” And so they built and prospered. 8 King Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, armed with shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin, armed with shields and bows. All of them were brave, well-trained men.
9 An Ethiopian named Zerah invaded Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots and advanced as far as Mareshah. 10 Asa went out to fight him, and both sides took up their positions at Zephathah Valley near Mareshah. 11 Asa prayed to the Lord his God, “O Lord, you can help a weak army as easily as a powerful one. Help us now, O Lord our God, because we are relying on you, and in your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you.”
12 The Lord defeated the Ethiopian army when Asa and the Judean army attacked them. They fled, 13 and Asa and his troops pursued them as far as Gerar. So many of the Ethiopians were killed that the army was unable to rally and fight. They were overpowered by the Lord and his army, and the army took large amounts of loot. 14 Then they were able to destroy the cities in the area around Gerar, because the people there were terrified of the Lord. The army plundered all those cities and captured large amounts of loot. 15 They also attacked the camps of some shepherds, capturing large numbers of sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
