2 Chronicles 13-15
Complete Jewish Bible
13 It was in the eighteenth year of King Yarov‘am that Aviyah began his reign over Y’hudah. 2 He ruled three years in Yerushalayim; his mother’s name was Mikhayahu the daughter of Uri’el from Giv‘ah.
There was war between Aviyah and Yarov‘am. 3 Aviyah joined the battle with an army of valiant soldiers, 400,000 select troops; while Yarov‘am took the field against him with 800,000 select troops who were valiant, strong men.
4 Aviyah, standing on Mount Z’marayim, in the hills of Efrayim, cried, “Yarov‘am and all Isra’el! Listen to me! 5 Don’t you know that Adonai, the God of Isra’el, gave rulership over Isra’el to David forever, to him and his descendants, by a covenant of salt [which is unbreakable]? 6 Yet Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, servant to Shlomo the son of David, rose in rebellion against his lord. 7 There rallied around him worthless brutes who were too strong for Rechav‘am the son of Shlomo to withstand when he was young and inexperienced. 8 Now you expect to withstand the kingdom of Adonai in the hands of the descendants of David. Yes, there are a great number of you, and you have with you the gold calves that Yarov‘am made as gods for you. 9 Yes, you drove out the cohanim of Adonai, the descendants of Aharon, and the L’vi’im; and you made yourselves priests as do the peoples in other countries, so that anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of those non-gods.
10 “But we are different. Adonai is our God, and we have not abandoned him. We have cohanim performing the service for Adonai, descendants of Aharon. With the L’vi’im doing their work, 11 they burn to Adonai every morning and evening burnt offerings and sweet incense; they arrange the showbread on the pure table, and they prepare the gold menorah with its lamps to burn every evening. For we observe the order of Adonai our God. But you have abandoned him.
12 “So look here! God is with us, leading us and his cohanim with the battle trumpets to sound an alarm against you. People of Isra’el! Don’t fight against Adonai, the God of your ancestors; because you will not succeed.”
13 But Yarov‘am prepared to ambush them from behind, so that the main body was ahead of Y’hudah, while the ambush was behind them. 14 Thus when Y’hudah looked back, the battle had to be fought in front of them and behind them.
They cried to Adonai, and the cohanim sounded the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Y’hudah gave forth a shout, and as the men of Y’hudah shouted, God struck Yarov‘am and all Isra’el before Aviyah and Y’hudah. 16 The people of Isra’el fled before Y’hudah, and God handed them over to them. 17 Aviyah and his army inflicted a great slaughter on them — 500,000 of Isra’el’s select soldiers fell dead. 18 Thus the people of Isra’el were subdued that time, and the people of Y’hudah won the victory, because they relied on Adonai the God of their ancestors. 19 Aviyah pursued Yarov‘am, taking from him the towns of Beit-El with its villages, Y’shanah with its villages and ‘Efrayin with its villages. 20 Yarov‘am did not recover his strength during the time of Aviyahu. Finally Adonai struck him, and he died. 21 But Aviyahu grew strong; he married fourteen wives and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 Other activities of Aviyah, together with his ways of doing things and his sayings, are recorded in the commentary of the prophet ‘Iddo. 23 (14:1) Aviyah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son became king in his place; during his time the land was quiet for ten years.
14 (2) Asa did what was good and right from the perspective of Adonai his God; 2 (3) for he removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashing the standing-stones and chopping down the sacred poles. 3 (4) He ordered Y’hudah to seek Adonai, the God of their ancestors, and to obey the Torah and the mitzvah. 4 (5) He removed the high places and pillars for sun-worship from all the cities of Y’hudah, and under him the kingdom was quiet.
5 (6) Because the land was quiet, and he had no war during those years, since Adonai had given him rest, he built fortified cities in Y’hudah. 6 (7) “Let’s build these cities,” he said to Y’hudah; “we’ll surround them with walls, towers, gates and bars. The land is there for us to use, because we have sought Adonai our God; we have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered.
7 (8) Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Y’hudah, equipped with shields and spears, and another 280,000 from Binyamin, with shields and bows; all were brave, strong men. 8 (9) Zerach the Ethiopian came out to attack them with an army of one million and three hundred chariots. When he arrived at Mareshah, 9 (10) Asa went out to fight him, and the forces were arranged for battle in the Tz’fat Valley at Mareshah.
10 (11) Asa cried out to Adonai his God, “Adonai, there is no one besides yourself, strong or weak, who can help. Help us, Adonai our God, because we are relying on you, and we are coming against this vast throng in your name. You are Adonai our God; don’t let human beings stop you!” 11 (12) So Adonai struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Y’hudah, and the Ethiopians fled. 12 (13) Asa and the army with him pursued them to G’rar, and the Ethiopians were defeated beyond recovery; they were shattered before Adonai and his army, who carried off much spoil. 13 (14) Then they attacked all the cities in the vicinity of G’rar, for a panic from Adonai had overcome them. They plundered all the cities, for they were full of spoil. 14 (15) They also attacked the tents of those tending the livestock and carried off sheep and camels in abundance. Then they returned to Yerushalayim.
15 The Spirit of God came on ‘Azaryah the son of ‘Oded; 2 he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Y’hudah and Binyamin! Adonai is with you, as long as you are with him; if you seek him, you will find him; but if you abandon him, he will abandon you! 3 For a long time Isra’el was without the true God, without a cohen who could teach, and without Torah. 4 But when, in their distress, they turned to Adonai the God of Isra’el and sought him, they found him. 5 In those times people going about their business were insecure, and great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands; 6 so that they were shattered to pieces, nation against nation and city against city, as God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7 But you, be strong, and don’t slack off; for your work will be rewarded.”
8 When Asa heard these words prophesied by ‘Oded the prophet, it gave him courage to throw the disgusting things out of the whole land of Y’hudah and Binyamin and out of the cities he had captured in the hills of Efrayim; he also renewed the altar of Adonai which was in front of the vestibule of Adonai. 9 Then he gathered all Y’hudah and Binyamin, along with those from Efrayim, M’nasheh and Shim‘on who were staying with him (for they had defected to him in large numbers upon seeing that Adonai his God was with him). 10 They assembled together at Yerushalayim in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 That day they sacrificed to Adonai 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought; 12 and they entered into a covenant to seek Adonai, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and with all their being; 13 [they also agreed] that whoever refused to seek Adonai the God of Isra’el should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They swore this to Adonai in a loud voice, with shouting and blowing of trumpets and shofars. 15 All Y’hudah was full of joy at this oath; for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with all their will; and they found him, and Adonai gave them rest all around.
16 Asa the king also deposed Ma‘akhah his [grand]mother from her position as queen mother, because she had made a disgusting image for an asherah. Asa cut down this image of hers, chopped it into tiny pieces and burned it in Vadi Kidron. 17 But the high places were not removed from Isra’el. Nevertheless, Asa was wholehearted throughout his life. 18 He brought into the house of God all the articles his father had consecrated, also the things he himself had consecrated — silver, gold and utensils.
19 There was no more war through the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
Divrey Hayamim Bais 13-15
Orthodox Jewish Bible
13 Now in the eighteenth year of Melech Yarov’am began Aviyah to reign over Yehudah.
2 He reigned 3 shanim in Yerushalayim. And the shem immo was Michayah bat Uriel of Giveah. And there was milchamah between Aviyah and Yarov’am.
3 And Aviyah led the milchamah with an army of gibborei milchamah, even 400 elef ish bachur. Yarov’am also drew up for milchamah against him with 800 elef ish bachur, gibbor chayil.
4 And Aviyah stood up upon Mt Tzemarayim, which is in the hill country of Ephrayim, and said, Hear me, thou Yarov’am, and kol Yisroel.
5 Ought ye not to know that Hashem Elohei Yisroel gave the Mamlachah over Yisroel to Dovid l’olam (forever), even to him and to his banim by a Brit Melach [see Num 18:19]?
6 Yet Yarov’am ben Nevat eved Sh’lomo ben Dovid is risen up, and hath rebelled against Adonav.
7 And there are gathered unto him anashim rekim, the Bnei Beliyaal, and have strengthened themselves against Rechav’am ben Sh’lomo, when Rechav’am was na’ar and rakh levav (fainthearted), and could not withstand them.
8 And now ye think to withstand the Mamlechet Hashem in the yad Bnei Dovid; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you eglei zahav, which Yarov’am made you for elohim.
9 Have ye not cast out the Kohanim of Hashem, the Bnei Aharon, and the Levi’im, and have made you kohanim after the manner of the peoples of other lands? So whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bull and 7 rams, the same may be a kohen of them that are no elohim.
10 But as for us, Hashem is Eloheinu, and we have not forsaken Him, and the Kohanim, mesharetim unto Hashem, are the Bnei Aharon, and the Levi’im do their work;
11 And they burn unto Hashem baboker baboker and baerev baerev olot and ketoret sammim; the array of lechem is also set in order upon the shulchan hatahor; and the menorah hazahav with the nerot thereof is lit erev ba’erev, for we are the Shomrim of the Mishmeret Hashem Eloheinu; but ye have forsaken Him.
12 And, hinei, HaElohim Himself is with us as Rosh, and His Kohanim have their chatzotzerot to sound the alarm against you. O Bnei Yisroel, fight ye not against Hashem Elohei Avoteichem; for ye shall not prosper.
13 But Yarov’am caused a ma’arav to come about behind them so that they were before Yehudah, and the ma’arav was behind them.
14 And when Yehudah turned, hinei, the milchamah was before and behind, and they cried unto Hashem, and the Kohanim sounded the battle trumpets.
15 Then the Ish Yehudah gave a shout, and as the Ish Yehudah shouted, it came to pass, that HaElohim routed Yarov’am and kol Yisroel before Aviyah and Yehudah.
16 And the Bnei Yisroel fled before Yehudah, and Elohim delivered them into their yad.
17 And Aviyah and his army slaughtered them with a makkah rabbah (great slaughter); so there fell down slain of Yisroel five hundred thousand ish bachur.
18 Thus the Bnei Yisroel were subdued at that time, and the Bnei Yehudah prevailed, because they relied upon Hashem Elohei Avoteihem.
19 And Aviyah pursued after Yarov’am, and took cities from him: Beit-El with the towns thereof, and Yeshanah with the villages thereof, and Ephrayim with the villages thereof.
20 Neither did Yarov’am recover ko’ach again in the days of Aviyah; and Hashem struck him, and he died.
21 But Aviyah grew strong, and married fourteen nashim, and fathered twenty and two banim, and sixteen banot.
22 And the rest of the acts of Aviyah, and his deeds, and his words, are written in the Midrash HaNavi Iddo.
14 (13:23) So Aviyah slept with Avotav, and they buried him in Ir Dovid, and Asa bno reigned in his place. In his days HaAretz was at peace eser shanim.
2 (14:1) And Asa did that which was hatov and yashar in the eyes of Hashem Elohav;
3 (14:2) For he took away the mizbechot hanekhar (foreign altars), and the high places, and smashed the matzevot, and cut down the Asherim;
4 (14:3) And commanded Yehudah to seek Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, and to observe the Torah and the Mitzvah.
5 (14:4) Also he took away out of all the towns of Yehudah the high places and the chammanim (sun-pillar idols); and the mamlachah was at peace under him.
6 (14:5) And he built arei metzurah in Yehudah; for HaAretz was at peace, and he had no milchanah in those years, because Hashem had given him rest.
7 (14:6) Therefore he said unto Yehudah, Let us build up these cities, and make about them chomah, and migdalim, gates, and bars. HaAretz is yet before us, because we have sought Hashem Eloheinu, we have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8 (14:7) And Asa had an army of men that bore shields and spears, out of Yehudah three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore mogen and drew keshet (bow), two hundred and fourscore elef; all these were gibborei chayil.
9 (14:8) And there came out against them Zerach HaCushi with a host of elef alafim, and three hundred merkavot; and came as far as Mareshah.
10 (14:9) Then Asa went out against him, and they took up position for the milchamah in the valley of Zephatah at Mareshah.
11 (14:10) And Asa cried unto Hashem Elohav, and said, Hashem, there is none besides Thee to help, whether with rav, or with them that have no ko’ach. Help us, Hashem Eloheinu, for we rely on Thee; in Shimecha we go against this multitude. Hashem Thou art Eloheinu; let no enosh prevail against Thee.
12 (14:11) So Hashem struck down HaCushim before Asa, and before Yehudah, and HaCushim fled.
13 (14:12) And Asa and HaAm that were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and HaCushim fell, until they could not survive, for they were crushed before Hashem, and before His Machaneh. They carried off very much plunder.
14 (14:13) And they destroyed all the towns around Gerar; for the Pachad Hashem fell upon them, and they plundered all the towns, for there was exceeding much booty in them.
15 (14:14) They attacked also the ohalim of herdsmen, and carried off tzon and gemalim in abundance, and returned to Yerushalayim.
15 And the Ruach Elohim came upon Azaryahu ben Oded;
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and kol Yehudah and Binyamin. Hashem is with you, while ye be with Him; if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.
3 Now for yamim rabbim Yisroel hath been without the Elohei Emes, and without a Kohen Moreh, and without Torah.
4 But when they in their tzoros did turn unto Hashem Elohei Yisroel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
5 And in those times there was no shalom to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but mehumot rabbot (great turmoil) was upon all the inhabitants of the lands.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city, for Elohim did trouble them with every tzuris.
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak, for there is sachar (reward) for your pe’ulah (work).
8 And when Asa heard these words, and the nevu’ah of Oded HaNavi, he took courage, and put away the shikkutzim (abominable idols) from kol Eretz Yehudah and Binyamin, and from the cities which he had captured from Mt Ephrayim, and renewed the Mizbe’ach Hashem, that was in front of the Ulam Hashem.
9 And he gathered all Yehudah and Binyamin, and the gerim with them from Ephrayim and Menasheh, and from Shim’on, for they fell to him from Yisroel in abundance, when they saw that Hashem Elohav was with him.
10 So they gathered themselves together at Yerushalayim in the chodesh hashelishi, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 And they offered unto Hashem on that day, of the plunder which they had brought back, 700 bakar and 7000 tzon.
12 And they entered into the Brit to seek Hashem Elohei Avoteihem with all their lev and with all their nefesh;
13 That whosoever would not seek Hashem Elohei Yisroel should be put to death, whether katan or gadol, whether ish or isha.
14 And they swore unto Hashem with a kol gadol, and with teruah, and with trumpets, and with shoferot.
15 And all Yehudah rejoiced at the shevu’ah, for they had sworn with all their lev, and sought Him with their whole ratzon; and He was found by them; and Hashem gave them rest all around.
16 And also concerning Ma’achah em Asa HaMelech, he deposed her from being gevirah, because she had made to Asherah a mifletzet, and Asa cut down her mifletzet, and ground it up, and burned it at the Wadi Kidron.
17 But the high places were not removed from Yisroel; nevertheless the levav Asa was shalem all his days.
18 And he brought into the Beis HaElohim the things that Aviv had dedicated as kodesh, and that he himself had dedicated as kodesh, kesef, and zahav, and kelim.
19 And there was no more milchamah unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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