2 Cronache 14

1(H13-23) E Abija s’addormentò coi suoi padri, e fu sepolto nella città di Davide; e Asa, suo figliuolo, regnò in luogo suo; e al suo tempo il paese ebbe requie per dieci anni. 2(H14-1) Asa fece ciò ch’è buono e retto agli occhi dell’Eterno, del suo Dio. 3(H14-2) Tolse via gli altari degli dèi stranieri, e gli alti luoghi; spezzò le statue, abbatté gl’idoli d’Astarte; 4(H14-3) e ordinò a Giuda di cercare l’Eterno, l’Iddio de’ suoi padri, e di mettere ad effetto la sua legge ed i suoi comandamenti. 5(H14-4) Tolse anche via da tutte le città di Giuda gli alti luoghi e le colonne solari; e, sotto di lui, il regno ebbe requie. 6(H14-5) Egli costruì delle città fortificate in Giuda, giacché il paese era tranquillo, e in quegli anni non v’era alcuna guerra contro di lui, perché l’Eterno gli avea data requie. 7(H14-6) Egli diceva a quei di Giuda: "Costruiamo queste città, e circondiamole di mura, di torri, di porte e di sbarre; il paese è ancora a nostra disposizione, perché abbiamo cercato l’Eterno, il nostro Dio; noi l’abbiamo cercato, ed egli ci ha dato riposo d’ogni intorno". Essi dunque si misero a costruire, e prosperarono. 8(H14-7) Asa aveva un esercito di trecentomila uomini di Giuda che portavano scudo e lancia, e di duecento ottantamila di Beniamino che portavano scudo e tiravan d’arco, tutti uomini forti e valorosi. 9(H14-8) Zerah, l’Etiopo, uscì contro di loro con un esercito d’un milione d’uomini e trecento carri, e si avanzò fino a Maresha. 10(H14-9) Asa gli mosse contro, e si disposero in ordine di battaglia nella valle di Tsefatha presso Maresha. 11(H14-10) Allora Asa invocò l’Eterno, il suo Dio, disse: "O Eterno, per te non v’è differenza tra il dar soccorso a chi è in gran numero, e il darlo a chi è senza forza; soccorrici, o Eterno, o nostro Dio! poiché su te noi ci appoggiamo, e nel tuo nome siam venuti contro questa moltitudine. Tu sei l’Eterno, il nostro Dio; non la vinca l’uomo a petto di te!" 12(H14-11) E l’Eterno sconfisse gli Etiopi davanti ad Asa e davanti a Giuda, e gli Etiopi si diedero alla fuga. 13(H14-12) Ed Asa e la gente ch’era con lui li inseguirono fino a Gherar; e degli Etiopi ne caddero tanti, che non ne rimase più uno di vivo; poiché furono rotti davanti all’Eterno e davanti al suo esercito. E Asa ed i suoi portaron via un immenso bottino; 14(H14-13) e batteron tutte le città nei dintorni di Gherar, perché lo spavento dell’Eterno s’era impadronito d’esse; e quelli saccheggiarono tutte le città; perché v’era molto bottino; 15(H14-14) fecero pure man bassa sui chiusi delle mandre, e menaron via gran numero di pecore e di cammelli. Poi tornarono a Gerusalemme.

1So Abijah slept 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. 2Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God: 3for he took away the foreign altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles, 4and commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun images: and the kingdom was quiet before him. 6He built fortified cities in Judah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years, because Yahweh had given him rest. 7For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities, and make walls around them, with towers, gates, and bars. The land is yet before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God; we have sought him, and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor. 9There came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to Mareshah. 10Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, there is no one besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help us, Yahweh our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this multitude. Yahweh, you are our God. Don’t let man prevail against you.” 12So Yahweh struck the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar: and there fell of the Ethiopians so many that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before Yahweh, and before his army; and they carried away very much booty. 14They struck all the cities around Gerar; for the fear of Yahweh came on them: and they plundered all the cities; for there was much plunder in them. 15They struck also the tents of livestock, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Jerusalem.

1Zo ontsliep Abia met zijn vaderen, en zij begroeven hem in de stad Davids, en zijn zoon Asa werd koning in zijn plaats. In zijn dagen was het land tien jaren stil. 2En Asa deed dat goed en dat recht was in de ogen des HEEREN, zijns Gods. 3Want hij nam de altaren der vreemden, en de hoogten weg, en brak de opgerichte beelden, en hieuw de bossen af. 4En hij zeide tot Juda, dat zij den HEERE, den God hunner vaderen, zoeken, en dat zij de wet en het gebod doen zouden. 5Hij nam ook weg uit alle steden van Juda de hoogten en de zonnebeelden; en het koninkrijk was voor hem stil. 6Daartoe bouwde hij vaste steden in Juda; want het land was stil, en er was geen oorlog in die jaren tegen hem, dewijl de HEERE hem rust gaf. 7Want hij zeide tot Juda: Laat ons deze steden bouwen, en muren daarom trekken, en torens, deuren en grendelen, terwijl het land nog is voor ons aangezicht; want wij hebben den HEERE, onzen God, gezocht, wij hebben Hem gezocht, en Hij heeft ons rondom henen rust gegeven. Zo bouwden zij en hadden voorspoed. 8Asa nu had een heir van driehonderd duizend uit Juda, rondas en spies dragende, en tweehonderd en tachtig duizend uit Benjamin, het schild dragende en den boog spannende; al dezen waren kloeke helden. 9En Zerah, de Moor, kwam tegen hen uit, met een heir van duizend maal duizend, en driehonderd wagenen; en hij kwam tot Maresa toe. 10Toen toog Asa tegen hem uit; en zij stelden de slagorde in het dal Zefatha bij Maresa. 11En Asa riep tot den HEERE, zijn God, en zeide: HEERE, het is niets bij U, te helpen hetzij den machtige, hetzij den krachteloze; help ons, o HEERE, onze God! Want wij steunen op U, en in Uw Naam zijn wij gekomen tegen deze menigte; o HEERE! Gij zijt onze God; laat den sterfelijken mens tegen U niets vermogen. 12En de HEERE plaagde de Moren voor Asa en voor Juda; en de Moren vloden. 13Asa nu en het volk, dat met hem was, jaagden hen na tot Gerar toe; en zo velen vielen er van de Moren, dat er voor hen geen hervatting was; want zij waren verbroken voor den HEERE en voor Zijn leger; en zij droegen zeer veel roofs daarvan. 14En zij sloegen alle steden rondom Gerar; want de verschrikking des HEEREN was over hen; en zij beroofden al de steden, omdat veel roofs in dezelve was. 15En zij sloegen ook de tenten van het vee, en voerden weg schapen in menigte, en kemelen; en kwamen weder te Jeruzalem.