2 Chronicles 15

1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded:

And as for 'Azaryahu the son of 'Oded—on him came the spirit of God;

2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

And he went out to meet Assa, and said unto him, Hear me, O Assa, and all Judah and Benjamin, The Lord is with you, while ye remain with him; and if ye seek him, he will let himself be found by you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

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

And many days [had elapsed] for Israel, [they being] without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

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

But they returned when they were in distress unto the Lord, the God of Israel, and they sought him, and he let himself be found by them.

5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands.

And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, and to him that came in; but there were great confusions among all the inhabitants of the countries.

6 They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity.

And nation was dashed to pieces against nation, and city against city; for God did confound them with all kind of distress.

7 But you be strong, and do not let your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded."

But as for you, be ye strong, and let not your hands be weak; for there is a reward for your doing.

8 When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Azariah the son 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 which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the vestibule of the LORD.

And when Assa heard these words, and the prophecy of 'Oded the prophet, he was strengthened, and he put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had captured from the mountain of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.

9 He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, and those that sojourned with them out of Ephraim and Menasseh, and out of Simeon; for they had joined him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

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

And so they assembled themselves at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Assa.

11 They sacrificed to the LORD in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.

And they sacrificed unto the Lord on the same day, of the booty which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

12 They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;

And they entered into the covenant to seek the Lord the God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

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

So that whosoever would not seek the Lord the God of Israel should be put to death, from the small even up to the great, whether it be man or woman.

14 They swore to the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

And they swore unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with [joyful] shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

15 All Judah 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 all around.

And all Judah rejoiced because of the oath; for with all their heart had they sworn, and with their whole desire did they seek him, and he let himself be found by them: and the Lord gave them rest on every side.

16 Also Maacah, 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 in the Kidron Valley.

And also concerning Ma'achah the mother of king Assa, he removed her from being queen, because she had made a scandalous image for the grove; and Assa cut down her scandalous image, and had it ground up, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.

17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

But the high-places were not removed out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Assa was entire all his days.

18 He brought into God's house the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

And be brought the things which his father had sanctified, and his own sanctified things, into the house of God, —silver, and gold, and vessels.

19 There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

And there was no war until the five-and-thirtieth year of the reign of Assa.