2 Ihe E Mere 15
1 Mgbe ahụ, Mmụọ nke Chineke dakwasịrị Azaraya nwa Oded.
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.
2 Ọ pụrụ jekwuru Asa sị ya, “Geenụ m ntị, gị Asa na ndị Juda niile na Benjamin. Onyenwe anyị ga-anọnyere unu oge niile unu na-eme okwu ya. Unu ga-achọta ya mgbe ọbụla unu chọrọ ya. Ma ọ ga-agbakụta unu azụ oge ọbụla unu nupuru isi nʼiwu ya.
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 Ma ọtụtụ oge dị anya ndị Izrel nọ na-enweghị Chineke nke ezie, ha enweghịkwa onye nchụaja ga-ezi ihe, ha enweghịkwa iwu Chineke
For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.
4 Ma mgbe ọbụla ha chigharịkwutere Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel tikuo ya nʼime mkpagbu ha, ọ na-enyere ha aka.
But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.
5 Nʼoge ahụ, ọ dịghị udo dịrị onye ọbụla na-apụ apụ ịgagharị nʼobodo, maka na ndị niile bi nʼala ahụ nọ nʼọnọdụ oke ọgbaaghara.
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 Otu obodo na-azọpịa obodo ọzọ ebe otu mba na-emegidekwa mba ọzọ nʼihi na Chineke ji nsogbu dị iche iche megide ha.
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 Ma unu ndị Juda, unu adala mba nʼọrụ ọma unu, nʼihi na a ga-akwụ unu ụgwọ ọrụ unu.”
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 Mgbe Asa nụrụ okwu ndị a, bụ amụma Azaraya nwa Oded, ọ bụ onye a gbara ume. O wepụrụ ihe arụ niile dị nʼala Juda na Benjamin na nke dị nʼobodo niile ahụ o meriri nʼagha ndị dị nʼugwu Ifrem. Ọ wuziri ebe ịchụ aja Onyenwe anyị, nke dị nʼihu mpụta ọnụ ụlọ ụlọnsọ ukwu nke Onyenwe anyị.
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 Mgbe ahụ, Asa kpọrọ ndị Juda na Benjamin niile oku, ha na ndị ọbịa niile si Izrel, nʼihi na ọtụtụ sitere nʼala Ifrem na Manase, na Simiọn gbafeta Juda, mgbe ha hụrụ na Onyenwe anyị Chineke nọnyeere Asa.
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 Ha niile zukọrọ na Jerusalem nʼọnwa nke atọ nʼafọ nke iri na ise nke ọchịchị eze Asa.
After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.
11 Nʼoge ahụ, ha ji narị ehi asaa na puku atụrụ na ewu asaa, chụọrọ Onyenwe anyị aja nʼụbọchị ahụ. Anụmanụ ndị a so nʼihe ha kwatara nʼagha.
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 Emesịa, nʼụbọchị ahụ, ha gbara ndụ, kpebie na ọ bụ naanị Onyenwe anyị Chineke nna ha ka ha ga-efe.
They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].
13 Ha kpebikwara na onye ọbụla nke na-agaghị efe Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel ga-anwụ, ma onye ahụ ọ bụ nwoke maọbụ nwanyị, nwantakịrị maọbụ okenye.
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 Ha niile ji oke olu na iti mkpu na opi na opi ike, ṅụọrọ Onyenwe anyị iyi.
They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.
15 Ndị Juda niile ṅụrịrị ọṅụ nʼihi na ha ji obi ha niile ṅụọ iyi a. Ha jikwa obi ha niile chọọ Chineke. O mere ka ha chọta ya. Onyenwe anyị nyekwara ha udo nʼakụkụ niile.
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 Eze Asa chụdakwara nne nne ya bụ Maaka, site nʼọnọdụ ya dịka nne eze, nʼihi na ọ kpụrụ ihe arụ, ogidi Ashera maka iji fee ya ofufe. Asa gbuturu ya, sụpịa ya, kpọọ ya ọkụ na ndagwurugwu iyi Kidrọn.
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 Ọ bụ ezie na o wezugaghị ugwu niile dị elu site nʼIzrel, ma Asa ji obi zuruoke jere Onyenwe anyị ozi nʼoge ndụ ya niile
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 O webatara nʼime ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke, ọlaọcha na ọlaedo na ihe niile, nke nna ya na ya onwe ya doro nsọ.
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 Ọ dịkwaghị agha ọzọ a lụrụ tutu ruo nʼafọ iri atọ na ise nke ọchịchị eze Asa na Juda.
There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.
