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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。

3. ASA E LE SUE RIFORME CULTUALI

La pace di Asa

14 Asa fece ciò che è bene e giusto agli occhi del Signore suo Dio. Allontanò gli altari stranieri e le alture; spezzò le stele ed eliminò i pali sacri. Egli ordinò a Giuda di ricercare il Signore, Dio dei loro padri, e di eseguirne la legge e i comandi. Da tutte le città di Giuda allontanò le alture e gli altari per l'incenso. Il regno fu tranquillo sotto di lui. Ricostruì le fortezze in Giuda, poiché il paese era tranquillo e in quegli anni non si trovava in guerra; il Signore gli aveva concesso pace.

Egli disse a Giuda: «Ricostruiamo quelle città circondandole di mura e di torri con porte e sbarre, mentre il paese è ancora in nostro potere perché abbiamo ricercato il Signore nostro Dio; noi l'abbiamo ricercato ed egli ci ha concesso la pace alle frontiere». Ricostruirono e prosperarono.

Asa aveva un esercito di trecentomila uomini di Giuda con grandi scudi e lance e di duecentottantamila Beniaminiti con piccoli scudi e archi. Tutti costoro erano uomini valorosi.

L'invasione di Zerach

Contro di loro marciò Zerach l'Etiope con un esercito di un milione di uomini e con trecento carri; egli giunse fino a Maresa. Asa gli andò incontro; si schierarono a battaglia nella valle di Sefata presso Maresa. 10 Asa domandò al Signore, suo Dio: «Signore, fuori di te, nessuno può soccorrere nella lotta fra il potente e chi è senza forza; soccorrici, Signore nostro Dio, perché noi confidiamo in te e nel tuo nome marciamo contro questa moltitudine; Signore, tu sei nostro Dio; un uomo non prevalga su di te!».

11 Il Signore sconfisse gli Etiopi di fronte ad Asa e di fronte a Giuda. Gli Etiopi si diedero alla fuga. 12 Asa e quanti erano con lui li inseguirono fino a Gherar. Degli Etiopi ne caddero tanti da non restarne uno vivo, perché fatti a pezzi di fronte al Signore e al suo esercito. Quelli riportarono molto bottino. 13 Conquistarono anche tutte le città intorno a Gherar, poiché lo spavento del Signore si era diffuso in esse; saccheggiarono tutte le città, nelle quali c'era grande bottino. 14 Si abbatterono anche sulle tende dei pastori, facendo razzie di pecore e di cammelli in grande quantità, quindi tornarono a Gerusalemme.

14 [a]And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years.

Asa King of Judah(A)

Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.(B) He removed the foreign altars(C) and the high places, smashed the sacred stones(D) and cut down the Asherah poles.[b](E) He commanded Judah to seek the Lord,(F) the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. He removed the high places(G) and incense altars(H) in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.(I)

“Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest(J) on every side.” So they built and prospered.

Asa had an army of three hundred thousand(K) men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

Zerah the Cushite(L) marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.(M) 10 Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11 Then Asa called(N) to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us,(O) Lord our God, for we rely(P) on you, and in your name(Q) we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail(R) against you.”

12 The Lord struck down(S) the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar.(T) Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed(U) before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder.(V) 14 They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror(W) of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. 15 They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 14:1 In Hebrew texts 14:1 is numbered 13:23, and 14:2-15 is numbered 14:1-14.
  2. 2 Chronicles 14:3 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Chronicles

14 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.

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

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

And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

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.

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.

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.

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 no 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.