1 So 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. 2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: 3 For he took away the altars of the strange gods , and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: 4 And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
6 ¶ And 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. 7 Therefore 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. 8 And 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.
9 ¶ And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. 10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And 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. 12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. 13 And 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. 14 And 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. 15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.
Asa mambo we Juda
1 Ndizo Abija kafa ngono bakambiganya mu nzi nkulu wa Dafite. Asa nkololo uwe kan'gala thaka kabusa mu bumo gugwe. Ngono kwakati kubusa Asa shango yakabe ne kunyalala kwe makole ali gumi. 2 Asa wakashathisa Yahwe Ndzimu uwe ngothama bubuya. 3 Wakapkhwanyila kutjena zwibeso zwe zwibhayilo zwe midzimu ipoga ne magalo apezhugwi katema phanda dze ndzimukadzi Ashera. 4 Ngono wakalaula kuti bathu be Juda bathame tjinoshakiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu babo ne kulondolodza milayo yabo. 5 Wakakolomola magalo wose akabe ethigamigwa midzimu ne zwibeso zwakabe zwipisigwa motsha mu mizi mikulu yose ye Juda, ngono kukabe ne kunyalala mu mbuso uwe. 6 Wakabaka matizhilo mu mizi mikulu ye Juda ngoti shango yakabe yabe ne kunyalala. Akuna wakagwa naye mu misi iyeyo ngoti Yahwe bakampa kunyalala. 7 Ngono wakati ku bathu be Juda, “Ngatibakeni mizi mikulu tiibakilile nge makuma ne thungamakole nge mikoba inozhaligwa nge butale. Tina simba le shango ngoti ndeyedu takathama kuda kwa Yahwe Ndzimu wedu. Bakatibakilila bakatipa kunyalala.” Ndizo bakabaka ngono bakabhudilila. 8 Asa wakabe ana babhayani be Bajuta bali mazana matatu e zwiwulu (300 000) bakabe bakashakatila mathumo ne zwivikisi ne babhayani banodwa ku Bhenjamini bali zwiwulu zwili mazana mabili ana zwili makumi ali zhanakadzi (280 000) bakabe bakazwilulwamisa zubuyanana nge zwivikisi ne matati bose ibaba bakabe bali balume bakasima be ngwa.
9 Kwakabe kuna nlume we Nkhushi wakabe edang'wa Zera, nlume iwoyo kanginilila Juda nge babhayani bali miliyoni (1 000 000) ne koloyi dze ngwa dzili mazana matatu (300) ngono kayenda kudzina kunoti ku Maresha. 10 Asa wakamilika kanobagwisa, ngono bakama zubuyanana bakalingisana bali ku nkuku we Zefatha pejo ne Maresha. 11 Ngono Asa kadana Yahwe Ndzimu uwe kati, “Yahwe akuna iye ungabhatsha pakati kwe bana matatabuko ne basina matatabuko kuzhe kwenyu. Mutibhatshe Yahwe Ndzimu wedu ngoti takabiga mu muli kakale nge zina lenyu tazha tiwolingisana ne babhayani ibaba banjinji. Yahwe imwi Ndzimu wedu akuna ungamukunda.”
12 Ndizo Yahwe bakakunda Baitopiya ha Asa ne Bajuda be banginilila ngono Baitopiya bakatizha. 13 Asa ne babhayani babe bakabatatamila kudzina benoti ku Gera. Bunji gwe Baitopiya bakabulawa kukasheta ne limbelimbe lasala litjila ngobe bakabe bakuligwa nge babhayani mbeli kwa Yahwe nenge babhayani babo, babhayani bakatapa thundu njinji. 14 Bakakolomola mizi mikulu yose yakapoteleka Gera ngoti bathu bakabe betja Yahwe. Babhayani bakatapa mizi mikulu ngobe kwakabe kuna thundu njinji muili. 15 Bakanokolomola mishasha ye bathuwi be ng'ombe ngono bakatapa pkhwizi dzabo njinji ne kamela dzabo. Kudwapo bakabgwilila ku Jerusalema.