2 Chronicles 15

1 Now, as for Azariah son of Oded, there came upon him, the spirit of God.

Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.

2 So he went forth to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear me, O Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin, —Yahweh, is with you, so long as ye are with him, and, if ye seek him, he will be found of you, but, if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when 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, many days, had Israel been, —without the faithful God, and without a teaching priest, and without the law;

For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law.

4 But they turned, in their distress, unto Yahweh God of Israel, —and sought him, and he was found of them.

But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.

5 And, in those times, there had been no prosperity, to him that went out nor to him that came in, —for, great consternations, were upon all the inhabitants of the lands;

In those days there was no safety for travelers, because the residents of the lands had many conflicts.

6 and they were beaten in pieces-nation against nation, and city against city, —for, God, discomfited them with all manner of distress.

Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God afflicted them with all kinds of adversity.

7 Ye, therefore, be strong, and let not your hands be slack, —for there is a reward for your work!

But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”

8 And, when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he strengthened himself, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had captured out of the hill country of Ephraim, —and renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh.

When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.

9 And he gathered together all Judah and Benjamin, and the sojourners with them, out of Ephraim and out of Manasseh, and out of Simeon, —for they fell unto him out of Israel, in great numbers, because they saw that, Yahweh his God, was with him.

And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, along with those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, for great numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

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

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

11 And they sacrificed unto Yahweh, on that day, out of the spoil they had brought in, —oxen, seven hundred, and sheep, seven thousand.

At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from all the plunder they had brought back.

12 And they entered into a covenant, to seek Yahweh, God of their fathers, —with all their heart, and with all their soul;

Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.

13 and, whosoever would not seek unto Yahweh God of Israel, should be put to death, —whether small or great, whether man or woman.

And whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

14 So they bound themselves by oath unto Yahweh, with a loud voice, and with shouting, —and with trumpets and with horns.

They took an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets, and rams’ horns.

15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for, with all their heart, had they sworn, and, with all their good will, had they sought him, and he was found of them, —and Yahweh gave them rest round about.

And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

16 Moreover also, as touching Maacah mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made, unto the Sacred Stem, a monstrous thing, —so Asa cut down her monstrous thing, and reduced it to dust, and burnt it up, in the Kidron ravine.

King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

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

The high places were not removed from Israel, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted all his days.

18 And he brought the hallowed things of his father and his own hallowed things, into the house of God, —silver and gold, and utensils.

And he brought into the house of God the silver and gold articles that he and his father had dedicated.

19 And, war, was there none, —until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

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