1And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of יהוה his Elohim; 2for he took away the strange altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed down the Asherim 3and commanded Yehudah to seek יהוה , the Elohim of their fathers, and to do the Torah and the Mitzvah. 4Also he took away out of all the cities of Yehudah the high places and the sun-images; and the kingdom was quiet before him. 5And he built fortified cities in Yehudah; for the land was quiet, and he had no war in those years; because יהוה had given him rest. 6For he said unto Yehudah, “Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before us, because we have sought יהוה our Elohim; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.
7And Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Yehudah three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand; all these were mighty men of valor. 8And there came out against them Zarakh the Kushi with an army of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and he came unto Mareshah. 9Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Tzefatah at Mareshah. 10And Asa cried unto יהוה his Elohim, and said, ” יהוה , there is none beside You to help, between the mighty and him that has no strength; help us, O יהוה our Elohim; for we rely on You, and in Your Name are we come against this multitude. You are יהוה our Elohim; let not man prevail against You.” 11So יהוה smote the Kushim before Asa, and before Yehudah; and the Kushim fled. 12And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar; and there fell of the Kushim so that none remained alive; for they were shattered before יהוה , and before His host; and they carried away very much spoil. 13And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for a terror from יהוה came upon them; and they spoiled all the cities; for there was much spoil in them. 14They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to Yerushalayim.
אוַיַּעַשׂ אָסָא הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יהוה אֱלֹהָיו. בוַיָּסַר אֶת מִזְבְּחוֹת הַנֵּכָר וְהַבָּמוֹת; וַיְשַׁבֵּר אֶת הַמַּצֵּבוֹת וַיְגַדַּע אֶת הָאֲשֵׁרִים. גוַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת יהוה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה. דוַיָּסַר מִכָּל עָרֵי יְהוּדָה אֶת הַבָּמוֹת וְאֶת הַחַמָּנִים; וַתִּשְׁקֹט הַמַּמְלָכָה לְפָנָיו. הוַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מְצוּרָה בִּיהוּדָה: כִּי שָׁקְטָה הָאָרֶץ וְאֵין עִמּוֹ מִלְחָמָה בַּשָּׁנִים הָאֵלֶּה כִּי הֵנִיחַ יהוה לוֹ. ווַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה נִבְנֶה אֶת הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְנָסֵב חוֹמָה וּמִגְדָּלִים דְּלָתַיִם וּבְרִיחִים עוֹדֶנּוּ הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֵינוּ כִּי דָרַשְׁנוּ אֶת יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ דָּרַשְׁנוּ וַיָּנַח לָנוּ מִסָּבִיב; וַיִּבְנוּ וַיַּצְלִיחוּ.
זוַיְהִי לְאָסָא חַיִל נֹשֵׂא צִנָּה וָרֹמַח מִיהוּדָה שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּמִבִּנְיָמִן נֹשְׂאֵי מָגֵן וְדֹרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת מָאתַיִם וּשְׁמוֹנִים אָלֶף: כָּל אֵלֶּה גִּבּוֹרֵי חָיִל. חוַיֵּצֵא אֲלֵיהֶם זֶרַח הַכּוּשִׁי בְּחַיִל אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים וּמַרְכָּבוֹת שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת; וַיָּבֹא עַד מָרֵשָׁה. טוַיֵּצֵא אָסָא לְפָנָיו; וַיַּעַרְכוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּגֵיא צְפַתָה לְמָרֵשָׁה. יוַיִּקְרָא אָסָא אֶל יהוה אֱלֹהָיו וַיֹּאמַר יהוה אֵין עִמְּךָ לַעְזֹר בֵּין רַב לְאֵין כֹּחַ עָזְרֵנוּ יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ כִּי עָלֶיךָ נִשְׁעַנּוּ וּבְשִׁמְךָ בָאנוּ עַל הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה: יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אַתָּה אַל יַעְצֹר עִמְּךָ אֱנוֹשׁ. יאוַיִּגֹּף יהוה אֶת הַכּוּשִׁים לִפְנֵי אָסָא וְלִפְנֵי יְהוּדָה; וַיָּנֻסוּ הַכּוּשִׁים. יבוַיִּרְדְּפֵם אָסָא וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ עַד לִגְרָר וַיִּפֹּל מִכּוּשִׁים לְאֵין לָהֶם מִחְיָה כִּי נִשְׁבְּרוּ לִפְנֵי יהוה וְלִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵהוּ; וַיִּשְׂאוּ שָׁלָל הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד. יגוַיַּכּוּ אֵת כָּל הֶעָרִים סְבִיבוֹת גְּרָר כִּי הָיָה פַחַד יהוה עֲלֵיהֶם; וַיָּבֹזּוּ אֶת כָּל הֶעָרִים כִּי בִזָּה רַבָּה הָיְתָה בָהֶם. ידוְגַם אָהֳלֵי מִקְנֶה הִכּוּ; וַיִּשְׁבּוּ צֹאן לָרֹב וּגְמַלִּים וַיָּשֻׁבוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָם.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 