1 U-Abiya wayeselala koyise; bammbela emzini kaDavide; u-Asa indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe: emihleni yakhe izwe lazola iminyaka eyishumi.
2 U-Asa wenza okuhle nokulungile emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe.
3 Wawasusa ama-altare abezizwe nezindawo eziphakemeyo, wazibhidliza izinsika, wabagawula o-Ashera,*
4 wamtshela uJuda ukuba amfune uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, awenze umthetho nemiyalo.
5 Wasusa kuyo imizi yakwaJuda izindawo eziphakemeyo, nama-altare empepho; umbuso wazola phambi kwakhe.
6 Wakha imizi ebiyelweyo kwaJuda, ngokuba izwe lazola, engenampi kuleyo minyaka, ngokuba uJehova wayemphumuzile.
7 Wathi kuJuda: “Masakhe le mizi, siyihaqe ngogange, nangemibhoshongo, nangezivalo, nangemigoqo; izwe lisephambi kwethu, ngokuba simfunile uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu; simfunile, wasiphumuza nxazonke.” Base bakha-ke, baphumelela.
8 U-Asa wayenempi ephethe izihlangu nemikhonto, evela kwaJuda, iyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amathathu, nevela kwaBenjamini, ephethe amahawu nensala iminsalo, iyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amabili namashumi ayisishiyagalombili; bonke labo babe ngamaqhawe anamandla.
9 Kwaphuma ukulwa nabo uZera umKushe enempi eyizinkulungwane eziyinkulungwane nezinqola ezingamakhulu amathathu, wafika eMaresha.
10 U-Asa wayesephuma ukuhlangabezana naye, bahlela impi esigodini saseSefata ngaseMaresha.
11 U-Asa wakhala kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe, wathi: “Jehova, akakho ngaphandle kwakho ongasiza phakathi konamandla amakhulu nongenawo; sisize, Jehova Nkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba sencika kuwe, sifike ngegama lakho kulesi sixuku. Jehova, wena unguNkulunkulu wethu, mawungahlulwa muntu.”
12 UJehova wawashaya amaKushe phambi kuka-Asa naphambi kukaJuda; amaKushe abaleka.
13 U-Asa nabantu ababe naye bawaxosha kwaze kwaba seGerari, kwawa amaKushe kwaze kwangasala muntu ophilayo, ngokuba achithwa phambi kukaJehova naphambi kwempi yakhe, bamuka nempango enkulu kakhulu.
14 Bachitha yonke imizi ezungeza iGerari, ngokuba ingebhe ngoJehova yayiphezu kwabo; baphanga yonke imizi, ngokuba kwakukhona impango eningi kuyo.
15 Bachitha namatende ezinkomo, bamuka nezimvu eziningi namakamela, babuyela eJerusalema.