The King Who Built and the God Who Fought.

וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אָסָא֙ הַטּ֣וֹב וְהַיָּשָׁ֔ר בְּעֵינֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃

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 had rest for ten years.

וַיָּ֛סַר אֶת־מִזְבְּח֥וֹת הַנֵּכָ֖ר וְהַבָּמ֑וֹת וַיְשַׁבֵּר֙ אֶת־הַמַּצֵּב֔וֹת וַיְגַדַּ֖ע אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִֽים׃

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

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה לִדְר֕וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וְלַעֲשׂ֖וֹת הַתּוֹרָ֥ה וְהַמִּצְוָֽה׃

[3] He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim

וַיָּ֙סַר֙ מִכָּל־עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה אֶת־הַבָּמ֖וֹת וְאֶת־הַֽחַמָּנִ֑ים וַתִּשְׁקֹ֥ט הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה לְפָנָֽיו׃

[4] and commanded Judah to seek the Lord , the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.

וַיִּ֛בֶן עָרֵ֥י מְצוּרָ֖ה בִּיהוּדָ֑ה כִּֽי־שָׁקְטָ֣ה הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֵין־עִמּ֤וֹ מִלְחָמָה֙ בַּשָּׁנִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה כִּֽי־הֵנִ֥יחַ יְהוָ֖ה לֽוֹ׃

[5] He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לִֽיהוּדָ֜ה נִבְנֶ֣ה׀ אֶת־הֶעָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְנָסֵ֨ב חוֹמָ֣ה וּמִגְדָּלִים֮ דְּלָתַ֣יִם וּבְרִיחִים֒ עוֹדֶ֨נּוּ הָאָ֜רֶץ לְפָנֵ֗ינוּ כִּ֤י דָרַ֙שְׁנוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ דָּרַ֕שְׁנוּ וַיָּ֥נַֽח לָ֖נוּ מִסָּבִ֑יב וַיִּבְנ֖וּ וַיַּצְלִֽיחוּ׃ פ

[6] He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the Lord gave him peace.

וַיְהִ֣י לְאָסָ֗א חַיִל֮ נֹשֵׂ֣א צִנָּ֣ה וָרֹמַח֒ מִֽיהוּדָה֙ שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֣וֹת אֶ֔לֶף ס וּמִבִּנְיָמִ֗ן נֹשְׂאֵ֤י מָגֵן֙ וְדֹ֣רְכֵי קֶ֔שֶׁת מָאתַ֥יִם וּשְׁמוֹנִ֖ים אָ֑לֶף כָּל־אֵ֖לֶּה גִּבּ֥וֹרֵי חָֽיִל׃

[7] And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered.

וַיֵּצֵ֨א אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם זֶ֣רַח הַכּוּשִׁ֗י בְּחַ֙יִל֙ אֶ֣לֶף אֲלָפִ֔ים וּמַרְכָּב֖וֹת שְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֑וֹת וַיָּבֹ֖א עַד־מָרֵשָֽׁה׃

[8] And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.

וַיֵּצֵ֥א אָסָ֖א לְפָנָ֑יו וַיַּֽעַרְכוּ֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה בְּגֵ֥יא צְפַ֖תָה לְמָרֵשָֽׁה׃

[9] Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אָסָ֜א אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָיו֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ יְהוָ֗ה אֵֽין־עִמְּךָ֤ לַעְזוֹר֙ בֵּ֥ין רַב֙ לְאֵ֣ין כֹּ֔חַ עָזְרֵ֜נוּ יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ כִּֽי־עָלֶ֣יךָ נִשְׁעַ֔נּוּ וּבְשִׁמְךָ֣ בָ֔אנוּ עַל־הֶהָמ֖וֹן הַזֶּ֑ה יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ אַ֔תָּה אַל־יַעְצֹ֥ר עִמְּךָ֖ אֱנֽוֹשׁ׃ ס

[10] And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

וַיִּגֹּ֤ף יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַכּוּשִׁ֔ים לִפְנֵ֥י אָסָ֖א וְלִפְנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ הַכּוּשִֽׁים׃

[11] And Asa cried to the Lord his God, “O Lord , there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. 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; let not man prevail against you.”

וַיִּרְדְּפֵ֨ם אָסָ֜א וְהָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ֮ עַד־לִגְרָר֒ וַיִּפֹּ֤ל מִכּוּשִׁים֙ לְאֵ֣ין לָהֶ֣ם מִֽחְיָ֔ה כִּֽי־נִשְׁבְּר֥וּ לִפְנֵֽי־יְהוָ֖ה וְלִפְנֵ֣י מַחֲנֵ֑הוּ וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ שָׁלָ֖ל הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

[12] So the Lord defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

וַיַּכּ֗וּ אֵ֤ת כָּל־הֶֽעָרִים֙ סְבִיב֣וֹת גְּרָ֔ר כִּי־הָיָ֥ה פַֽחַד־יְהוָ֖ה עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיָּבֹ֙זּוּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים כִּֽי־בִזָּ֥ה רַבָּ֖ה הָיְתָ֥ה בָהֶֽם׃

[13] Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil.

וְגַם־אָהֳלֵ֥י מִקְנֶ֖ה הִכּ֑וּ וַיִּשְׁבּ֨וּ צֹ֤אן לָרֹב֙ וּגְמַלִּ֔ים וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ ס

[14] And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the Lord was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.