II Chronicles 14

¹Forsothe Abia slepte with hise fadris, and thei birieden hym in the citee of Dauid; and Asa, his sone, regnede for hym. In whos daies the lond restide ten yeer.

²And Asa dide that, that was good and plesaunt in the siyt of his God, and he destriede the auteris of straunge worschipyng, and `he destriede hiy places,

³and brak ymagis, and kittide doun woodis;

⁴and he comaundide Juda to seke the Lord God of her fadris, and to do the lawe and alle comaundementis.

⁵And he took awei fro alle the citees of Juda auteris and templis of idols, and he regnede in pees.

⁶And he bildide stronge cytees in Juda; for he was in reste, and no batels risiden in his tymes, for the Lord yaf pees.

⁷Forsothe he seide to Juda, Bilde we these cytees, and cumpasse we with wallis, and strengthe we with touris and yatis and lockis, as longe as alle thingis ben restful fro batel; for we han souyte the Lord God of oure fadris, and he hath youe to vs pees bi cumpas. Therfor thei bildiden, and no lettyng was in bildyng.

⁸Sotheli Asa hadde in his oost thre hundrid thousynde of men of Juda berynge scheldis and speris, sotheli of Beniamyn he hadde two hundrid thousynde and fourscoore thousynde of scheeld beeris and of archeris; alle these weren ful stronge men.

⁹Forsothe Zara of Ethiop yede out ayens hem with his oost ten `sithis an hundrid thousynde, and with thre hundrid charis, and cam `til to Masera.

¹⁰Certis Aza yede ayens hem, and araiede scheltrun to batel in the valei Sephata, which is bisidis Masera. And he inwardli clepide the Lord God,

¹¹and seide, Lord, no dyuersitee is anentis thee, whether thou helpe in fewe, ethir in manye; oure Lord God, helpe thou vs, for we han trist in thee and in thi name, and camen ayens this multitude; Lord, thou art oure God, a man haue not the maistrye ayens thee.

¹²Therfor the Lord made aferd Ethiopens bifor Asa and Juda, and Ethiopens fledden; and Asa and his puple,

¹³that was with hym, pursuede hem `til to Gerare. And Ethiopens felden doun `til to deeth, for thei weren al to-brokun bi the Lord sleynge, and bi his oost fiytynge. Therfor thei token many spuylis,

¹⁴and smitiden alle the citees `bi the cumpas of Gerare; for greet drede hadde assailid alle men. And thei rifliden cytees, and baren a weye myche prey;

¹⁵but also thei destrieden the fooldis of scheep, and token multitude without noumbre of scheep and of camels, and turneden ayen in to Jerusalem.

II Chronicles 14

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

²And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:

³For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

⁴And commanded Judah to seek the Lord 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 images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

⁶And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.

⁷Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

⁸And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.

⁹And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.

¹⁰Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

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

¹³And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.

¹⁴And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

¹⁵They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.