2 Chronicles 15

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

And Azarias the son of Oded—upon him came the Spirit of the Lord,

2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. YHWH 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 Asa, and all Juda and Benjamin, and said, Hear me, Asa, and all Juda and Benjamin. The Lord [is] with you, while ye are with him; and if ye seek him out, he will be found of 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 Israel [has been] a long time without the true God, and without a priest to expound [the truth], and without the law.

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

But he shall turn them to the Lord God of Israel, and he will be found of 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 that time there is no peace to one going out, or to one coming in, for the terror of the Lord is upon all that inhabit the lands.

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

And nation shall fight against nation, and city against city; for God has confounded them with every [kind of] affliction.

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

But be ye strong, and let not your hands be weakened: for there is a reward for your work.

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 YHWH, that was before the vestibule of YHWH.

And when [Asa] heard these words, and the prophesy of Adad the prophet, then he strengthened himself, and cast out the abominations from all the land of Juda and Benjamin, and from the cities which Jeroboam possessed, in mount Ephraim, and he renewed the altar of the Lord, which was before the temple 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 YHWH his God was with him.

And he assembled Juda and Benjamin, and the strangers that dwelt with him, of Ephraim, and of Manasse, and of Symeon: for many of Israel were joined to him, 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 they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

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

And he sacrificed to the Lord in that day of the spoils which they brought, seven hundred calves and seven thousand sheep.

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

And he entered into a covenant that they should seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.

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

And that whoever should not seek the Lord God of Israel, should die, whether young or old, whether man or woman.

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

And they swore to the Lord with a loud voice, 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 YHWH gave them rest all around.

And all Juda rejoiced concerning the oath: for they swore with all their heart, and they sought him with all their desires; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.

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 he removed Maacha his mother from being priestess to Astarte; and he cut down the idol, and burnt it in the brook of Kedron.

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

Nevertheless they removed not the high places: they still existed in Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect 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 he brought in the holy things of David his father, and the holy things of 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 [waged] with him until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.