New International Version | Christian Standard Bible |
1And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years. | 1Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place. During his reign the land experienced peace for ten years. |
2Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God. | 2Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God. |
3He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. | 3He removed the pagan altars and the high places. He shattered their sacred pillars and chopped down their Asherah poles. |
4He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. | 4He told the people of Judah to seek the LORD God of their ancestors and to carry out the instruction and the commands. |
5He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. | 5He also removed the high places and the shrines from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom experienced peace under him. |
6He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest. | 6Because the land experienced peace, Asa built fortified cities in Judah. No one made war with him in those days because the LORD gave him rest. |
7"Let us build up these towns," he said to Judah, "and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered. | 7So he said to the people of Judah, "Let's build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, with doors and bars. The land is still ours because we sought the LORD our God. We sought him and he gave us rest on every side." So they built and succeeded. |
8Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men. | 8Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and two hundred eighty thousand from Benjamin bearing regular shields and drawing the bow. All these were valiant warriors. |
9Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. | 9Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and three hundred chariots. They came as far as Mareshah. |
10Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. | 10So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation in Zephathah Valley at Mareshah. |
11Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you." | 11Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: "LORD, there is no one besides you to help the mighty and those without strength. Help us, LORD our God, for we depend on you, and in your name we have come against this large army. LORD, you are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder you." |
12The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, | 12So the LORD routed the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled. |
13and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the LORD and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. | 13Then Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell until they had no survivors, for they were crushed before the LORD and his army. So the people of Judah carried off a great supply of loot. |
14They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the LORD had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. | 14Then they attacked all the cities around Gerar because the terror of the LORD was on them. They also plundered all the cities, since there was a great deal of plunder in them. |
15They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. | 15They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen and captured many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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