The Divided Kingdom

and Abijah and his people smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

And the sons of Israel are humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leant on Jehovah, God of their fathers.

And Abijah pursueth after Jeroboam, and captureth from him cities, Beth-El and its small towns, and Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns.

And Jeroboam hath not retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he dieth.

And Abijah strengtheneth himself, and taketh to him fourteen wives, and begetteth twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters,

and the rest of the matters of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the `Inquiry' of the prophet Iddo.

And Abijah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David, and reign doth Asa his son in his stead: in his days was the land quiet ten years.

And Asa doth that which is good, and that which is right, in the eyes of Jehovah his God,

and turneth aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaketh the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines,

and saith to Judah to seek Jehovah, God of their fathers, and to do the law and the command;

and he turneth aside out of all cities of Judah the high places and the images, and the kingdom is quiet before him.

And he buildeth cities of bulwarks in Judah, for the land hath quiet, and there is no war with him in these years, because Jehovah hath given rest to him.

And he saith to Judah, `Let us build these cities, and compass them with wall, and towers, two-leaved doors, and bars, while the land is before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God, we have sought, and He giveth rest to us round about;' and they build and prosper.

And there is to Asa a force bearing target and spear, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, bearing shield and treading bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these are mighty of valour.

And come out unto them doth Zerah the Cushite with a force of a thousand thousand, and chariots three hundred, and he cometh in unto Mareshah,

and Asa goeth out before him, and they set battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

And Asa calleth unto Jehovah his God, and saith, `Jehovah! it is nothing with Thee to help, between the mighty and those who have no power; help us, O Jehovah, our God, for on Thee we have leant, and in Thy name we have come against this multitude; O Jehovah, our God thou art ; let him not prevail with Thee--mortal man!

And Jehovah smiteth the Cushim before Asa, and before Judah, and the Cushim flee,

and Asa and the people who are with him pursue them even to Gerar, and there fall of the Cushim, for they have no preserving, because they have been broken before Jehovah, and before His camp; and they bear away very much spoil,

and smite all the cities round about Gerar, for a fear of Jehovah hath been upon them, and they spoil all the cities, for abundant spoil hath been in them;

and also tents of cattle they have smitten, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and turn back to Jerusalem.

And upon Azariah son of Oded hath been the Spirit of God,

and he goeth out before Asa, and saith to him, `Hear, me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; Jehovah is with you--in your being with Him, and if ye seek Him, He is found of you, and if ye forsake Him, He forsaketh you;

and many days are to Israel without a true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law,

and it turneth back in its distress unto Jehovah, God of Israel, and they seek Him, and He is found of them,