< Παραλειπομένων Βʹ 15 >
1 Τότε ήλθε το πνεύμα του Θεού επί Αζαρίαν τον υιόν του Ωδήδ·
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.
2 και εξήλθεν εις συνάντησιν του Ασά και είπε προς αυτόν, Ακούσατέ μου, Ασά και πας ο Ιούδας και ο Βενιαμίν· Ο Κύριος είναι με σας, όταν σεις είσθε μετ' αυτού· και εάν εκζητήτε αυτόν, θέλει ευρεθή εις εσάς· εάν όμως εγκαταλείψητε αυτόν, θέλει σας εγκαταλείψει·
Azariah went to talk with Asa, and said to him, “Asa and all [you men of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. Yahweh is with you whenever you are trusting in him. If you request him [to help you], he will help you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.
3 πολύν μεν καιρόν εστάθη ο Ισραήλ χωρίς του αληθινού Θεού και χωρίς ιερέως διδάσκοντος και χωρίς νόμου·
For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.
4 ότε όμως εν τη στενοχωρία αυτών επέστρεψαν εις Κύριον τον Θεόν του Ισραήλ και εξεζήτησαν αυτόν, ευρέθη εις αυτούς·
But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.
5 και κατ' εκείνους τους καιρούς δεν ήτο ειρήνη εις τον εξερχόμενον και εις τον εισερχόμενον, αλλ' ήσαν μεγάλαι ταραχαί επί πάντας τους κατοίκους των τόπων·
At that time, people were not safe when they traveled, because all the people who lived in the nearby countries were experiencing many difficulties.
6 και εφθείρετο έθνος υπό έθνους και πόλις υπό πόλεως· διότι ο Θεός κατέθλιβεν αυτούς εν πάση στενοχωρία·
The people of various nations were thoroughly defeated by [armies of] other nations, and people in some cities were crushed by [armies from] other cities, because God was allowing them to experience many difficulties.
7 σεις δε ενδυναμούσθε, και ας μη ήναι εκλελυμέναι αι χείρές σας· διότι θέλει είσθαι μισθός εις το έργον σας.
But you people, you must be strong and do not become discouraged, because [God] will reward you for what you do [to please him.”]
8 Και ότε ήκουσεν ο Ασά τους λόγους τούτους και την προφητείαν Ωδήδ του προφήτου, ενεδυναμώθη και απέβαλε τα βδελύγματα εκ πάσης της γης Ιούδα και Βενιαμίν και εκ των πόλεων, τας οποίας έλαβεν εκ του όρους Εφραΐμ, και ανενέωσε το θυσιαστήριον του Κυρίου, το κατ' έμπροσθεν του προνάου του Κυρίου.
When Asa heard what the prophet Azariah said, he was encouraged. He [commanded his workers to] remove all the detestable idols from everywhere in the land of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and from the towns that [his soldiers] had captured in the hills of the tribe of Ephraim. Asa’s workers repaired the altar [where people offered sacrifices] to Yahweh that was in front of the entrance to the temple [in Jerusalem].
9 Και συνήγαγε πάντα τον Ιούδαν και τον Βενιαμίν, και τους παροικούντας μετ' αυτών εκ του Εφραΐμ και Μανασσή και εκ του Συμεών· διότι πολλοί εκ του Ισραήλ προσεχώρησαν εις αυτόν, ιδόντες ότι Κύριος ο Θεός αυτού ήτο μετ' αυτού.
Then he gathered all [the people of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin and many people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living among them. [He was able to do that] because many people from [those tribes in] Israel had come to me to Judah when they realized that Yahweh, the God that Asa [worshiped], was helping him.
10 Και συνήχθησαν εις Ιερουσαλήμ κατά τον τρίτον μήνα του δεκάτου πέμπτου έτους της βασιλείας του Ασά.
After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.
11 Και προσέφεραν θυσίας εις τον Κύριον, κατά την ημέραν εκείνην, εκ των λαφύρων τα οποία έφεραν, επτακοσίους βόας και επτά χιλιάδας προβάτων.
At that time they sacrificed to Yahweh 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats, from the animals that they had captured [when they defeated the army of Ethiopia/Sudan].
12 Και εισήλθον εις συνθήκην να εκζητήσωσι Κύριον τον Θεόν των πατέρων αυτών, εξ όλης της καρδίας αυτών και εξ όλης της ψυχής αυτών·
They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].
13 και πας όστις δεν εκζητήση Κύριον τον Θεόν του Ισραήλ να θανατόνηται, από μικρού έως μεγάλου, από ανδρός έως γυναικός.
They promised to execute all those who would not worship Yahweh, including those who were important and those who were not important, both men and women.
14 Και ώμοσαν προς τον Κύριον εν φωνή μεγάλη και εν αλαλαγμώ και εν σάλπιγξι και εν κερατίναις.
They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.
15 Και πας ο Ιούδας ευφράνθη εις τον όρκον· διότι ώμοσαν εξ όλης της καρδίας αυτών και εξεζήτησαν αυτόν μεθ' όλης της θελήσεως αυτών· και ευρέθη εις αυτούς· και έδωκεν εις αυτούς ο Κύριος ανάπαυσιν κυκλόθεν.
All the people who were living in Judah were happy with the agreement because they had solemnly and very sincerely promised to keep it. They eagerly requested help from Yahweh, and he helped them. So he enabled them to have peace throughout their country.
16 Έτι δε Μααχά, την μητέρα του βασιλέως Ασά, απέβαλεν αυτήν του να ήναι βασίλισσα, επειδή έκαμεν είδωλον εις άλσος· και κατέκοψεν ο Ασά το είδωλον αυτής και συνέτριψε και έκαυσεν αυτό εις τον χείμαρρον Κέδρων.
King Asa’s grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting pole for [worshiping the goddess] Asherah. So Asa [commanded his workers to] cut down that pole and chop it into pieces and burn it in the Kidron Valley. He then did not allow Maacah to continue [to influence the people because of her] being the mother of the previous king.
17 Οι υψηλοί όμως τόποι δεν αφηρέθησαν από του Ισραήλ· πλην η καρδία του Ασά ήτο τελεία πάσας τας ημέρας αυτού.
Although Asa’s [workers] did not get rid of the shrines on the hilltops in Israel, he was very determined to [do what] pleased Yahweh all his life.
18 Και έφερεν εις τον οίκον του Θεού τα αφιερώματα του πατρός αυτού και τα εαυτού αφιερώματα, άργυρον και χρυσόν και σκεύη.
He [ordered his workers to] bring into God’s temple all the silver and gold and other valuable items that he and his father had dedicated [to God].
19 Και δεν έγεινε πόλεμος έως του τριακοστού πέμπτου έτους της βασιλείας του Ασά.
There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.