2 Chronicles 15

1 And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.

The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded.

2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Jehovah is with you while ye are with him; and if ye seek him he will be found of you, but if ye forsake him he will forsake you.

He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Yahweh is with you, while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

3 Now for a long while Israel [was] without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law;

Now for a long period, Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without the law.

4 but in their trouble they turned to Jehovah the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found of them.

But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.

5 And in those times there [was] no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in, but great disturbances were amongst all the inhabitants of the countries.

In those times there was no peace for him who traveled away, nor for him who traveled to here; instead, great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands.

6 And nation was broken against nation, and city against city; for God disturbed them with all manner of distress.

They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city, for God troubled them with all kinds of suffering.

7 But as for you, be firm and let not your hands be weak; for there is a reward for your deeds.

But be strong, and do not let your hands be weak, for your work will be rewarded.”

8 And 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 Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities that he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of Jehovah, that was before the porch of Jehovah.

When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and drove away the disgusting things from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities that he had captured from the hill country of Ephraim, and he rebuilt Yahweh's altar, which was in front of the portico of Yahweh's house.

9 And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon; for they fell away to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that Jehovah his God was with him.

He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who stayed with them—people from of Ephraim and Manasseh, and from Simeon. For they came from Israel to him in great numbers, when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.

10 And they assembled themselves at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.

11 And they sacrificed to Jehovah in that day, of the spoil that they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day some of the plunder that they had brought: seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep and goats.

12 And they entered into a covenant to seek Jehovah the God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soul,

They entered into a covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and with all their soul.

13 and that whoever would not seek Jehovah the God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

They agreed that whoever refused to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether the person was small or great, whether man or woman.

14 And they swore to Jehovah with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, and with trumpets and horns.

15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they took the oath with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them. And Jehovah gave them rest round about.

All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and they sought God with their whole desire, and he was found by them. Yahweh gave them peace all around them.

16 And also Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol for the Asherah; and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it in the valley Kidron.

He also removed Maacah, his grandmother, from being queen, because she had made a disgusting figure out of an Asherah pole. Asa cut down the disgusting figure, ground it to dust and burned it at the brook Kidron.

17 But the high places were not removed from Israel; only, Asa's heart was perfect all his days.

But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, Asa's heart was completely devoted all his days.

18 And he brought into the house of God the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

He brought into the house of God the silver and gold and the utensils that he and his father had dedicated for that purpose.

19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.