1 Abias morreu, e eles o sepultaram na Cidade de Davi. E Asa, seu filho, reinou em seu lugar. Nos dias dele, a terra esteve em paz durante dez anos. 2 Asa fez o que era bom e reto aos olhos do Senhor, seu Deus. 3 Porque aboliu os altares dos deuses estranhos e o culto nos lugares altos, quebrou as colunas e cortou os postes da deusa Aserá. 4 Ordenou a Judá que buscasse o Senhor, Deus de seus pais, e que observasse a lei e o mandamento. 5 Também aboliu de todas as cidades de Judá o culto nos lugares altos e os altares do incenso. E houve paz no seu reinado.

6 Asa construiu cidades fortificadas em Judá, pois havia paz na terra, e não houve guerra contra ele naqueles anos, porque o Senhor lhe tinha dado repouso. 7 Ele disse a Judá:

— Vamos construir estas cidades, cercá-las de muralhas e torres, portões e ferrolhos, enquanto a terra ainda está em paz diante de nós, pois temos buscado o Senhor, nosso Deus. Nós o temos buscado, e ele nos deu repouso por todos os lados.

8 Então eles construíram e prosperaram. O rei Asa tinha um exército de trezentos mil homens de Judá, que traziam grandes escudos e lança, e duzentos e oitenta mil homens de Benjamim, que traziam escudo e atiravam com arco; todos eram homens valentes.

9 Zerá, o etíope, saiu contra eles com um exército de um milhão de homens e trezentos carros de guerra, e chegou até Maressa. 10 Então Asa saiu contra ele, e eles se prepararam para a batalha no vale de Zefatá, perto de Maressa. 11 Asa clamou ao Senhor, seu Deus, e disse:

— Senhor, além de ti não há quem possa socorrer numa batalha entre o poderoso e o fraco. Ajuda-nos, Senhor, nosso Deus, porque em ti confiamos e no teu nome viemos contra esta multidão. Senhor, tu és o nosso Deus; que não prevaleça contra ti o homem.

12 O Senhor derrotou os etíopes diante de Asa e diante de Judá; e eles fugiram. 13 Asa e o povo que estava com ele os perseguiram até Gerar, e os etíopes foram mortos, sem restar nem um sequer, porque foram destroçados diante do Senhor e diante do seu exército; e eles levaram dali muitos despojos. 14 Atacaram todas as cidades ao redor de Gerar, porque o terror do Senhor as havia invadido; e saquearam todas as cidades, porque nelas havia muitos despojos. 15 Também atacaram as tendas dos donos do gado, levaram ovelhas em abundância e camelos e voltaram para Jerusalém.

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

2 And Asa did that which was good and that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh his God;

3 and took away the foreign altars, and the high places,and brake in pieces the pillars, and cut in twain the Sacred Stems;

4 and bade Judah seek Yahweh, God of their fathers,-and execute the law, and the commandment;

5 and removed from all the cities of Judah, the high places, and the sun-images,and the kingdom became quiet before him.

6 And he built cities of defence, in Judah,for the land had quiet, nor was there near him any war, in these years, because Yahweh had given him rest.

7 Therefore said he to Judah, Let us build these cities, and let us surround them with walls and towers, doors and bars, while the land is yet before us, for we have sought Yahweh our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built, and prospered.

8 And it came to pass that, Asa, had a force bearing shield and spear, out of Judah, three hundred thousand, and, out of Benjamin, such as bare a buckler and trode a bow, two hundred and eighty thousand,all these, were heroes of valour.

9 Then came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian, with a force of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots,and he came as far as Mareshah.

10 And Asa went out to meet him,and they set in array for battle, in the valley of Zaphonah, at Mareshah.

11 Then Asa cried out unto Yahweh his God, and said, O Yahweh, it is, nothing with thee, to help whether with many or with such as have no strength. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for, on thee, do we lean, and, in thy name, have we come against this multitude,O Yahweh! our God, thou art, let not, weak man, have power against thee.

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

13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued as far as to Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell, so that there was no way for them to recover, for they were routed before Yahweh, and before him host,and they carried away exceeding much spoil.

14 And they smote all the cities round shout Gerar, for the dread of Yahweh was upon them,and they plundered all the cities, for, great plunder, was there in them.

15 Moreover also, the tents of the cattle, they smote,and carried off sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.