וַיַּעַשׂ אָסָא הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה' אֱלֹהָיו

Asa did what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.

וַיָּסַר אֶת־מִזְבְּחוֹת הַנֵּכָר וְהַבָּמוֹת וַיְשַׁבֵּר אֶת־הַמַּצֵּבוֹת וַיְגַדַּע אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים

He removed the foreign altars and the shrines, smashed the monuments, and cut down the sacred trees.

וַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה

He, Asa, said to Judah to seek closeness with the Lord, God of their fathers, to study and reflect upon God’s word, and to fulfill the Torah and the commandments.

וַיָּסַר מִכָּל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה אֶת־הַבָּמוֹת וְאֶת־הַחַמָּנִים וַתִּשְׁקֹט הַמַּמְלָכָה לְפָנָיו

He removed from all the cities of Judah the shrines and the sun pillars, the idols used in the ritual worship of the sun; and the kingdom was tranquil before him.

וַיִּבֶן עָרֵי מְצוּרָה בִּיהוּדָה כִּי־שָׁקְטָה הָאָרֶץ וְאֵין־עִמּוֹ מִלְחָמָה בַּשָּׁנִים הָאֵלֶּה כִּי־הֵנִיחַ ה' לוֹ

He built fortified cities in Judah, as the land was tranquil; and there was no war against him in those years, because the Lord had given him respite, and therefore he could devote time and resources to such projects.

וַיֹּאמֶר לִיהוּדָה נִבְנֶה אֶת־הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְנָסֵב חוֹמָה וּמִגְדָּלִים דְּלָתַיִם וּבְרִיחִים עוֹדֶנּוּ הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֵינוּ כִּי דָרַשְׁנוּ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ דָּרַשְׁנוּ וַיָּנַח לָנוּ מִסָּבִיב וַיִּבְנוּ וַיַּצְלִיחוּ

He said to Judah: Let us build these cities, and surround them with a wall, and with towers, gates, and bars while the land is still quiet before us, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought, and He has given us respite from our enemies all around; and they built other cities on the border and elsewhere, with the aim of further strengthening and developing the land, and were successful.

וַיְהִי לְאָסָא חַיִל נֹשֵׂא צִנָּה וָרֹמַח מִיהוּדָה שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּמִבִּנְיָמִן נֹשְׂאֵי מָגֵן וְדֹרְכֵי קֶשֶׁת מָאתַיִם וּשְׁמוֹנִים אָלֶף כָּל־אֵלֶּה גִּבּוֹרֵי חָיִל

Asa had a force bearing shield, which encircles the wearer, and spear: From Judah there were three hundred thousand soldiers; and from Benjamin he had bearers of bucklers and archers, two hundred and eighty thousand; all these were mighty warriors. Clearly, the tribe of Benjamin grew and developed over the years, and it always had especially skilled archers.

וַיֵּצֵא אֲלֵיהֶם זֶרַח הַכּוּשִׁי בְּחַיִל אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים וּמַרְכָּבוֹת שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַיָּבֹא עַד־מָרֵשָׁה

Zerah the Kushite, a king of the Kushite dynasty that ruled over Egypt, came out to wage war against them with a force of one thousand thousands, one million warriors, and three hundred chariots, and he came to Maresha, in the land of Judah.

וַיֵּצֵא אָסָא לְפָנָיו וַיַּעַרְכוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּגֵיא צְפַתָה לְמָרֵשָׁה

Asa went out to meet him, and they deployed for war in the Valley of Tzefata at Maresha.

וַיִּקְרָא אָסָא אֶל־ה' אֱלֹהָיו וַיֹּאמַר ה' אֵין־עִמְּךָ לַעְזֹר בֵּין רַב לְאֵין כֹּחַ עָזְרֵנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ כִּי־עָלֶיךָ נִשְׁעַנּוּ וּבְשִׁמְךָ בָאנוּ עַל־הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ אַתָּה אַל־יַעְצֹר עִמְּךָ אֱנוֹשׁ

Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said: Lord, for helping, there is no difference for you between the great and the powerless. We are few in number while the Kushites are many, but although we are weak, You can assist us as easily as You could if we were strong. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely upon You, and in Your name we are coming against this multitude. You are the Lord our God; let no man overcome You (see 20:6).

וַיִּגֹּף ה' אֶת־הַכּוּשִׁים לִפְנֵי אָסָא וְלִפְנֵי יְהוּדָה וַיָּנֻסוּ הַכֻּשִׁים

Indeed, the Lord routed the Kushites before Asa and before Judah; and the Kushites fled.

וַיִּרְדְּפֵם אָסָא וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ עַד־לִגְרָר וַיִּפֹּל מִכּוּשִׁים לְאֵין־לָהֶם מִחְיָה כִּי־נִשְׁבְּרוּ לִפְנֵי־ה' וְלִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵהוּ וַיִּשְׂאוּ שָׁלָל הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד

Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to Gerar, and Kushites were falling to beyond recovery, they were left with no vitality or hope of rescue, as they were broken before the Lord and before His camp, the camp of Israel; they, Asa and Judah, carried a great many spoils.

וַיַּכּוּ אֵת כָּל־הֶעָרִים סְבִיבוֹת גְּרָר כִּי־הָיָה פַחַד־ה' עֲלֵיהֶם וַיָּבֹזּוּ אֶת־כָּל־הֶעָרִים כִּי־בִזָּה רַבָּה הָיְתָה בָהֶם

They smote all the Philistine cities around Gerar, because the fear of the Lord was upon them, the Philistines; and they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.

וְגַם־אָהֳלֵי מִקְנֶה הִכּוּ וַיִּשְׁבּוּ צֹאן לָרֹב וּגְמַלִּים וַיָּשֻׁבוּ יְרוּשָׁלִָם

They also smote the tents of herders, and captured flocks in abundance and camels, and they returned to Jerusalem.