< 2 Makoronike 15 >
1 Mweya waMwari wakauya pana Azaria mwanakomana waOdhedhi.
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.
2 Akabuda kundosangana naAsa akati kwaari, “Nditeererei, imi Asa, Judha yose neBhenjamini yose. Jehovha anemi kana imi munaye. Kana mukamutsvaka, achawanikwa nemi, asi kana mukamurasa, iye achakurasai.
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 Kwenguva refu Israeri yakanga isina Mwari wechokwadi, isina muprista kuti avadzidzise uye vasina murayiro.
For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.
4 Asi panguva yokutambudzika kwavo vakatendeukira kuna Jehovha, Mwari waIsraeri, vakamutsvaka, uye akawanikwa navo.
But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.
5 Pamazuva iwayo zvakanga zvine njodzi kufamba-famba nokuti vanhu vose venyika dzakawanda vakanga vachitambudzika kwazvo.
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 Imwe nyika yaiparadzwa neimwe uye rimwe guta richiparadzwa nerimwe, nokuti Mwari aivatambudza namatambudziko emhando dzakasiyana-siyana.
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 Asi imi, ivai nesimba uye musaora mwoyo nokuti mabasa enyu achawana mubayiro.”
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 Asa paakanzwa mashoko aya nokuprofita kwaAzaria mwanakomana waOdhedhi muprofita akasimbiswa kwazvo. Akabvisa zvifananidzo zvinonyangadza kubva panyika yose yeJudha neBhenjamini nomune mamwe maguta aakanga apamba muzvikomo zveEfuremu. Akavaka patsva aritari yaJehovha yaiva pamberi pebiravira retemberi yaJehovha.
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 Ipapo akaunganidza Judha neBhenjamini yose navanhu vaibva kuEfuremu, Manase neSimeoni vakanga vagere pakati pavo; nokuti vanhu vazhinji kwazvo vakanga vauya kwaari vachibva kuIsraeri pavakaona kuti Jehovha Mwari wake aiva naye.
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 Vakaungana paJerusarema mumwedzi wechitatu wegore regumi namashanu rokutonga kwaAsa.
After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.
11 Panguva iyoyo vakabayira kuna Jehovha mombe mazana manomwe, nemakwai nembudzi zviuru zvinomwe kubva paupfumi hwezvavakapamba zvavakadzoka nazvo.
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 Vakaita sungano yokutsvaka Jehovha, Mwari wamadzibaba avo, nemwoyo yavo nemweya yavo yose.
They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].
13 Vose vakanga vasingazotsvaki Jehovha, Mwari waIsraeri, vaizofanira kuurayiwa, zvisinei kuti mudiki kana mukuru, murume kana mukadzi.
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 Vakapika kuna Jehovha nenzwi guru nokudanidzira uye nehwamanda nenyanga.
They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.
15 Judha yose yakafara nokuda kwemhiko iyi nokuti vakanga vapika nomwoyo wose. Vakatsvaka Mwari nomwoyo unoda, uye iye akawanikwa navo. Saka Jehovha akavapa zororo kumativi ose.
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 Mambo Asa akabvisazve ambuya vake Maaka kubva panzvimbo yavo samai vamambo nokuti vakanga vagadzira danda rinonyangadza raAshera. Asa akatema danda riya akarityora-tyora akaripisa muMupata weKidhironi.
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 Kunyange zvake asina kubvisa nzvimbo dzakakwirira kubva muIsraeri, Asa akanga akazvipira nomwoyo wake wose kuna Jehovha upenyu hwake hwose.
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 Akauyisa mutemberi yaMwari sirivha negoridhe nemidziyo yaakanga akumikidza iye nababa vake.
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 Hakunazve kuzoita hondo kusvikira pagore ramakumi matatu namashanu rokutonga kwaAsa.
There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.