2 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים 15

1 וַעֲזַרְיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־עוֹדֵ֔ד הָיְתָ֥ה עָלָ֖יו ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹהִֽים׃

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

2 וַיֵּצֵא֮ לִפְנֵ֣י אָסָא֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ שְׁמָע֕וּנִי אָסָ֖א וְכָל־יְהוּדָ֣ה וּבִנְיָמִ֑ן יְהוָ֤ה עִמָּכֶם֙ בִּֽהְיֽוֹתְכֶ֣ם עִמּ֔וֹ וְאִֽם־תִּדְרְשֻׁ֙הוּ֙ יִמָּצֵ֣א לָכֶ֔ם וְאִם־תַּעַזְבֻ֖הוּ יַעֲזֹ֥ב אֶתְכֶֽם׃ ס

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.

3 וְיָמִ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְלֹ֣א ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֱמֶ֗ת וּלְלֹ֛א כֹּהֵ֥ן מוֹרֶ֖ה וּלְלֹ֥א תוֹרָֽה׃

Now, many days, had Israel been, —without the faithful God, and without a teaching priest, and without the law;

4 וַיָּ֙שָׁב֙ בַּצַּר־ל֔וֹ עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְבַקְשֻׁ֖הוּ וַיִּמָּצֵ֥א לָהֶֽם׃

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

5 וּבָעִתִּ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין שָׁל֖וֹם לַיּוֹצֵ֣א וְלַבָּ֑א כִּ֚י מְהוּמֹ֣ת רַבּ֔וֹת עַ֥ל כָּל־יוֹשְׁבֵ֖י הָאֲרָצֽוֹת׃

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;

6 וְכֻתְּת֥וּ גוֹי־בְּג֖וֹי וְעִ֣יר בְּעִ֑יר כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים הֲמָמָ֖ם בְּכָל־צָרָֽה׃

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

7 וְאַתֶּ֣ם חִזְק֔וּ וְאַל־יִרְפּ֖וּ יְדֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֛י יֵ֥שׁ שָׂכָ֖ר לִפְעֻלַּתְכֶֽם׃ ס

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

8 וְכִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אָסָ֜א הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה וְהַנְּבוּאָה֮ עֹדֵ֣ד הַנָּבִיא֒ הִתְחַזַּ֗ק וַיַּעֲבֵ֤ר הַשִּׁקּוּצִים֙ מִכָּל־אֶ֤רֶץ יְהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וּמִן־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָכַ֖ד מֵהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיְחַדֵּשׁ֙ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֣ח יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֕ר לִפְנֵ֖י אוּלָ֥ם יְהוָֽה׃

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.

9 וַיִּקְבֹּ֗ץ אֶת־כָּל־ יְהוּדָה֙ וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן וְהַגָּרִים֙ עִמָּהֶ֔ם מֵאֶפְרַ֥יִם וּמְנַשֶּׁ֖ה וּמִשִּׁמְע֑וֹן כִּֽי־נָפְל֨וּ עָלָ֤יו מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֙ לָרֹ֔ב בִּרְאֹתָ֕ם כִּֽי־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֖יו עִמּֽוֹ׃ פ

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.

10 וַיִּקָּבְצ֥וּ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י לִשְׁנַ֥ת חֲמֵשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה לְמַלְכ֥וּת אָסָֽא׃

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

11 וַיִּזְבְּח֤וּ לַיהוָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִן־הַשָּׁלָ֖ל הֵבִ֑יאוּ בָּקָר֙ שְׁבַ֣ע מֵא֔וֹת וְצֹ֖אן שִׁבְעַ֥ת אֲלָפִֽים׃

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

12 וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ בַבְּרִ֔ית לִדְר֕וֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם בְּכָל־לְבָבָ֖ם וּבְכָל־נַפְשָֽׁם׃

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

13 וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יִדְרֹ֛שׁ לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יוּמָ֑ת לְמִן־קָטֹן֙ וְעַד־גָּד֔וֹל לְמֵאִ֖ישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּֽׁה׃

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

14 וַיִּשָּֽׁבְעוּ֙ לַיהוָ֔ה בְּק֥וֹל גָּד֖וֹל וּבִתְרוּעָ֑ה וּבַחֲצֹצְר֖וֹת וּבְשׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃

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

15 וַיִּשְׂמְח֨וּ כָל־יְהוּדָ֜ה עַל־הַשְּׁבוּעָ֗ה כִּ֤י בְכָל־לְבָבָם֙ נִשְׁבָּ֔עוּ וּבְכָל־רְצוֹנָ֣ם בִּקְשֻׁ֔הוּ וַיִּמָּצֵ֖א לָהֶ֑ם וַיָּ֧נַח יְהוָ֛ה לָהֶ֖ם מִסָּבִֽיב׃

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.

16 וְגַֽם־מַעֲכָ֞ה אֵ֣ם ׀ אָסָ֣א הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ הֱסִירָהּ֙ מִגְּבִירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֥ה לַאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה מִפְלָ֑צֶת וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת אָסָא֙ אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ וַיָּ֕דֶק וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֽוֹן׃

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.

17 וְהַ֨בָּמ֔וֹת לֹא־סָ֖רוּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל רַ֧ק לְבַב־אָסָ֛א הָיָ֥ה שָׁלֵ֖ם כָּל־יָמָֽיו׃

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

18 וַיָּבֵ֞א אֶת־קָדְשֵׁ֥י אָבִ֛יו וְקָֽדָשָׁ֖יו בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כֶּ֥סֶף וְזָהָ֖ב וְכֵלִֽים׃

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

19 וּמִלְחָמָ֖ה לֹ֣א הָיָ֑תָה עַ֛ד שְׁנַת־שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים וְחָמֵ֖שׁ לְמַלְכ֥וּת אָסָֽא׃ ס

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