The Second Book of Divre Hayamim, starting at chapter 13
{13:1} In the eighteenth year of king Yarov`am began Aviyah to reign
over Yehudah. {13:2} Three years reigned he in Yerushalayim: and his
mother's name was Mikhayahu the daughter of Uri'el of Gevah. There was
war between Aviyah and Yarov`am. {13:3} Aviyah joined battle with an
army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and
Yarov`am set the battle in array against him with eight hundred
thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor. {13:4} Aviyah stood
up on Mount Tzemaryim, which is in the hill-country of Efrayim, and
said, Hear me, Yarov`am and all Yisra'el: {13:5} Ought you not to know
that the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, gave the kingdom over Yisra'el to
David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
{13:6} Yet Yarov`am the son of Nevat, the servant of Shlomo the son of
David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. {13:7} There were
gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened
themselves against Rechav`am the son of Shlomo, when Rechav`am was
young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them. {13:8} Now you
think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of
David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the
golden calves which Yarov`am made you for gods. {13:9} Haven't you
driven out the [1>]Kohanim[<1] of the LORD, the sons of Aharon, and
the Levites, and made you [2>]Kohanim[<2] after the manner of the
peoples of [other] lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself
with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a [3>]Kohen[<3] of
[those who are] no gods. {13:10} But as for us, the LORD is our God,
and we have not forsaken him; and [we have] [4>]Kohanim[<4]
ministering to the LORD, the sons of Aharon, and the Levites in their
work: {13:11} and they burn to the LORD every morning and every
evening burnt offerings and sweet incense: the show bread also [set
they] in order on the pure table; and the menorah of gold with the
lamps of it, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD
our God; but you have forsaken him. {13:12} Behold, God is with us at
our head, and his [5>]Kohanim[<5] with the trumpets of alarm to sound
an alarm against you. Children of Yisra'el, don't you fight against
the LORD, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper. {13:13}
But Yarov`am caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were
before Yehudah, and the ambush was behind them. {13:14} When Yehudah
looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they
cried to the LORD, and the [6>]Kohanim[<6] sounded with the trumpets.
{13:15} Then the men of Yehudah gave a shout: and as the men of
Yehudah shouted, it happened, that God struck Yarov`am and all
Yisra'el before Aviyah and Yehudah. {13:16} The children of Yisra'el
fled before Yehudah; and God delivered them into their hand. {13:17}
Aviyah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there
fell down slain of Yisra'el five hundred thousand chosen men. {13:18}
Thus the children of Yisra'el were brought under at that time, and the
children of Yehudah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the
God of their fathers. {13:19} Aviyah pursued after Yarov`am, and took
cities from him, Beit-El with the towns of it, and Yeshanah with the
towns of it, and `Efron with the towns of it. {13:20} Neither did
Yarov`am recover strength again in the days of Aviyah: and the LORD
struck him, and he died. {13:21} But Aviyah grew mighty, and took to
himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and
sixteen daughters. {13:22} The rest of the acts of Aviyah, and his
ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet
`Iddo.
{14:1} So Aviyah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the
city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the
land was quiet ten years. {14:2} Asa did that which was good and right
in the eyes of the LORD his God: {14:3} for he took away the foreign
altars, and the high places, and broke down the pillars, and hewed
down the Asherim, {14:4} and commanded Yehudah to seek the LORD, the
God of their fathers, and to do the law and the [1>]mitzvah[<1].
{14:5} Also he took away out of all the cities of Yehudah the high
places and the sun-images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.
{14:6} He built fortified cities in Yehudah; for the land was quiet,
and he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest.
{14:7} For he said to Yehudah, Let us build these cities, and make
about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars; the land is yet before
us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought him, and
he has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
{14:8} Asa had an army that bore bucklers and spears, out of Yehudah
three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore shields and
drew bows, two hundred eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of
valor. {14:9} There came out against them Zerach the Kushite with an
army of a million troops, and three hundred chariots; and he came to
Mareshah. {14:10} Then Asa went out to meet him, and they set the
battle in array in the valley of Tzefatah at Mareshah. {14:11} Asa
cried to the LORD his God, and said, LORD, there is none besides you
to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength: help us, LORD
our God; for we rely on you, and in your name are we come against this
multitude. LORD, you are our God; don't let man prevail against you.
{14:12} So the LORD struck the Kushim before Asa, and before Yehudah;
and the Kushim fled. {14:13} Asa and the people who were with him
pursued them to Gerar: and there fell of the Kushim so many that they
could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD,
and before his host; and they carried away very much booty. {14:14}
They struck all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD
came on them: and they despoiled all the cities; for there was much
spoil in them. {14:15} They struck also the tents of cattle, and
carried away sheep in abundance, and camels, and returned to
Yerushalayim.
{15:1} The Spirit of God came on `Azaryah the son of `Oded: {15:2}
and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear you me, Asa, and
all Yehudah and Binyamin: the LORD is with you, while you are with
him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake
him, he will forsake you. {15:3} Now for a long season Yisra'el was
without the true God, and without a teaching [1>]Kohen[<1], and
without law: {15:4} But when in their distress they turned to the
LORD, the God of Yisra'el, and sought him, he was found of them.
{15:5} In those times there was no shalom to him who went out, nor to
him who came in; but great vexations were on all the inhabitants of
the lands. {15:6} They were broken in pieces, nation against nation,
and city against city; for God did vex them with all adversity. {15:7}
But be you strong, and don't let your hands be slack; for your work
shall be rewarded. {15:8} When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy
of `Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations
out of all the land of Yehudah and Binyamin, and out of the cities
which he had taken from the hill-country of Efrayim; and he renewed
the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD. {15:9}
He gathered all Yehudah and Binyamin, and those who sojourned with
them out of Efrayim and Menashsheh, and out of Shim`on: for they fell
to him out of Yisra'el in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his
God was with him. {15:10} So they gathered themselves together at
Yerushalayim in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of
Asa. {15:11} They sacrificed to the LORD in that day, of the spoil
which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
{15:12} They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD, the God of
their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul; {15:13}
and that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Yisra'el, should
be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. {15:14}
They swore to the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with
trumpets, and with cornets. {15:15} All Yehudah rejoiced at the oath;
for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their
whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest
round about. {15:16} Also Ma`akhah, the mother of Asa the king, he
removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for
an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt
it at the brook Kidron. {15:17} But the high places were not taken
away out of Yisra'el: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all
his days. {15:18} He brought into the house of God the things that his
father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and
gold, and vessels. {15:19} There was no more war to the five and
thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
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Footnotes:
[1] {13:9} priests
[2] {13:9} priests
[3] {13:9} priest
[4] {13:10} priests
[5] {13:12} priests
[6] {13:14} priests
[1] {14:4} commandment
[1] {15:3} priest
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