2 Chronicles 15

1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded.

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

2 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.

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 for a long period, Israel was without the true God, 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 when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.

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

5 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.

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

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

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

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

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

8 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

12 They entered into a covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, 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 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.

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

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

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

15 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.

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 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.

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 out of Israel. Nevertheless, Asa's heart was completely devoted all his days.

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

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

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

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

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