2 Chronicles 15

1 The Spirit of God came on 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in 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 They sacrificed to YHWH in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle 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 They entered into the covenant to seek YHWH, 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 YHWH, 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 They swore to YHWH 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 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.

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 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.

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 taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa 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 He brought into God's house the things that his father had dedicated, and that 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 There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

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