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亞撒作猶大王(A)

14 亞比雅和他的列祖同睡,埋葬在大衛城裡,他的兒子亞撒接續他作王。亞撒在世的日子,國中太平了十年。(本節在《馬索拉文本》為13:23)

亞撒行耶和華他的 神看為善為正的事。(本節在《馬索拉文本》為14:1) 他除掉外族人的祭壇和邱壇,打斷神柱,砍下亞舍拉, 吩咐猶大人尋求耶和華他們列祖的 神,遵行他的律法和誡命。 他又在猶大各城中,除掉邱壇和香壇。那時全國在他的統治下享受太平。 他又在猶大建造了幾座設防城,因為國中太平,多年沒有戰爭,耶和華使他享受安寧。 他對猶大人說:“我們要建造這些城,在四周築牆,建造城樓,安設城門,製作門閂。這地還屬於我們,是因為我們尋求耶和華我們的 神;我們既然尋求他,他就使我們四境平安。”於是他們興工建造,事事順利。 亞撒的軍隊,拿大盾牌和矛槍的猶大人,共有三十萬;拿小盾牌和拉弓的便雅憫人,共有二十八萬;他們都是英勇的戰士。

亞撒戰勝古實人謝拉

那時有古實人謝拉率領一百萬軍隊,戰車三百輛,前來攻打猶大人;他來到了瑪利沙。 10 於是亞撒出去迎戰;他們就在瑪利沙的洗法谷列陣相對。 11 亞撒呼求耶和華他的 神說:“耶和華啊,強弱懸殊,除你以外沒有別的幫助。耶和華我們的 神啊,求你幫助我們。因為我們倚靠你,奉你的名去對抗這大軍。耶和華啊,你是我們的 神,不要讓人勝過你。” 12 於是耶和華在亞撒和猶大人面前,使古實人大敗,古實人就逃跑。 13 亞撒和跟隨他的人民追趕他們,直到基拉耳;古實人被殺的很多,不能恢復強盛;因為他們在耶和華和他的軍隊面前被擊潰了;猶大人奪取了極多戰利品。 14 他們又攻擊基拉耳周圍的一切城市,因為各城的人都懼怕耶和華。猶大人又把各城洗掠一空,因為城中的財物甚多。 15 他們又毀壞了牲畜的棚,牽走了很多的羊和駱駝,然後回耶路撒冷去了。

亚撒王击败古实人

14 亚比雅与祖先同眠后,葬在大卫城中,他儿子亚撒继位。亚撒执政期间,国中太平十年。 亚撒做他的上帝耶和华看为好、视为正的事, 拆除外族神明的丘坛和神庙,打碎神柱,砍倒亚舍拉神像, 命令犹大人寻求他们祖先的上帝耶和华,遵行祂的律法和诫命。 他除掉犹大各城邑的丘坛和香坛,那时国中太平。 他还在犹大修筑坚城,那些年国中太平,没有战事,因为耶和华赐他平安。 他对犹大人说:“我们要修筑城邑,在四周建造城墙和望楼,装置大门和门闩。我们仍拥有这片土地,是因为我们寻求我们的上帝耶和华;我们寻求祂,祂就赐我们四境平安。”于是,他们修筑城邑,凡事顺利。 亚撒的军队中有三十万持大盾牌和矛枪的犹大人,二十八万持小盾牌和弓箭的便雅悯人。他们都是英勇的战士。

古实王谢拉率领一百万大军和三百辆战车攻打犹大,到了玛利沙。 10 亚撒出兵迎敌,双方在玛利沙的洗法谷摆开阵势。 11 亚撒呼求他的上帝耶和华说:“耶和华啊,唯有你才能帮助弱小的胜过强大的。我们的上帝耶和华啊,求你帮助我们,因为我们依靠你,奉你的名迎战这大军。耶和华啊,你是我们的上帝,不要让人胜过你。”

12 于是,耶和华使古实人败在亚撒和犹大人面前,古实人溃逃。 13 亚撒率领军队乘胜追击,直追到基拉耳。古实人在耶和华和祂的军兵面前大败,伤亡惨重,一蹶不振。犹大人掳走了许多财物, 14 攻陷了基拉耳四周的城邑,因为这些城里的人都惧怕耶和华。他们洗劫各城,因为城中有大量财物。 15 他们毁坏牲畜的围栏,抢走许多羊和骆驼,然后返回耶路撒冷。

14 (13:23)[a] Abijah passed away[b] and was buried in the City of David.[c] His son Asa replaced him as king. During his reign[d] the land had rest for ten years.

Asa’s Religious and Military Accomplishments

(14:1) Asa did what the Lord his God desired and approved.[e] He removed the pagan altars[f] and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles.[g] He ordered Judah to seek the Lord God of their ancestors[h] and to observe his law and commands.[i] He removed the high places and the incense altars from all the towns of Judah. The kingdom had rest under his rule.[j]

He built fortified cities throughout Judah, for the land was at rest and there was no war during those years; the Lord gave him peace. He said to the people of Judah:[k] “Let’s build these cities and fortify them with walls, towers, and barred gates.[l] The land remains ours because we have followed[m] the Lord our God; we have followed him, and he has made us secure on all sides.”[n] So they built the cities[o] and prospered.

Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from Benjamin who carried small shields and were adept archers; they were all skilled warriors. Zerah the Cushite marched against them with an army of 1,000,000 men[p] and 300 chariots . He arrived at Mareshah, 10 and Asa went out to oppose him. They deployed for battle in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11 Asa prayed[q] to the Lord his God: “O Lord, there is no one but you who can help the weak when they are vastly outnumbered.[r] Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you and have marched on your behalf against this huge army.[s] O Lord, you are our God; don’t let men prevail against you!”[t] 12 The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar. The Cushites were wiped out;[u] they were shattered before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah[v] carried off a huge amount of plunder. 14 They defeated all the towns surrounding Gerar, for the Lord caused them to panic.[w] The men of Judah[x] looted all the towns, for they contained a huge amount of goods.[y] 15 They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen in charge of the livestock.[z] They carried off many sheep and camels and then returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 14:1 sn Beginning with 14:1, the verse numbers through 14:15 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 14:1 ET = 13:23 HT, 14:2 ET = 14:1 HT, 14:3 ET = 14:2 HT, etc., through 14:15 ET = 14:14 HT. Beginning with 15:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
  2. 2 Chronicles 14:1 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 14:1 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  4. 2 Chronicles 14:1 tn Heb “in his days.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 14:2 tn Heb “and Asa did the good and the right in the eyes of the Lord his God.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 14:3 tn Heb “the altars of the foreigner.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 14:3 sn Asherah poles. A leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon was Asherah, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles (Hebrew אֲשֵׁרִים [ʾasherim], as here). They were to be burned or cut down (Deut 7:5; 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4).
  8. 2 Chronicles 14:4 tn Heb “fathers.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 14:4 tn Heb “the law and the command.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 14:5 tn Heb “before him.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 14:7 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the people of Judah.
  12. 2 Chronicles 14:7 tn Heb “and we will surround [them] with wall[s] and towers, doors, and bars.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 14:7 tn Heb “sought.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 14:7 tn Heb “we sought him, and he has given us rest all around.”
  15. 2 Chronicles 14:7 tn The words “the cities” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
  16. 2 Chronicles 14:9 tn Heb “a thousand thousands.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “called out.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “there is not except you to help between many with regard to [the one] without strength.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “and in your name we have come against this multitude.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 14:11 tn Heb “let not man retain [strength] with you.”
  21. 2 Chronicles 14:13 tn Heb “and there fell from the Cushites so that there was not to them preservation of life.”
  22. 2 Chronicles 14:13 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  23. 2 Chronicles 14:14 tn Heb “for the terror of the Lord was upon them.”
  24. 2 Chronicles 14:14 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the men of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  25. 2 Chronicles 14:14 tn Heb “for great plunder was in them.”
  26. 2 Chronicles 14:15 tn Heb “and also they struck down the tents of the livestock.”