< 2 Nyakati 15 >
1 Roho wa Bwana akamjia Azaria mwana wa Odedi.
And Azarias the son of Oded—upon him came the Spirit of the Lord,
2 Akatoka ili kumlaki Asa na kumwambia, “Nisikilizeni, Asa na Yuda wote na Benyamini. Bwana yu pamoja nanyi mkiwa pamoja naye. Kama mkimtafuta, ataonekana kwenu, lakini kama mkimwacha yeye, naye atawaacha ninyi.
and he went out to meet Asa, and all Juda and Benjamin, and said, Hear me, Asa, and all Juda and Benjamin. The Lord [is] with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him out, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
3 Kwa muda mrefu Israeli walikuwa hawana Mungu wa kweli, walikuwa hawana kuhani wa kuwafundisha na wala hawakuwa na sheria.
And Israel [has been] a long time without the true God, and without a priest to expound [the truth], and without the law.
4 Lakini katika taabu yao walimrudia Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli na kumtafuta, naye akaonekana kwao.
But he shall turn them to the Lord God of Israel, and he will be found of them.
5 Katika siku hizo hapakuwa na amani kwa yeyote aliyesafiri, kutoka wala kuingia, kwa kuwa wakazi wote wa nchi walikuwa katika machafuko makubwa.
And in that time there is no peace to one going out, or to one coming in, for the terror of the Lord is upon all that inhabit the lands.
6 Taifa moja lilipigana na taifa lingine na mji mmoja ukapigana na mji mwingine, kwa sababu Mungu alikuwa anawahangaisha kwa taabu za kila aina.
And nation shall fight against nation, and city against city; for God has confounded them with every [kind of] affliction.
7 Lakini kwa habari yenu ninyi, kuweni hodari wala msikate tamaa, kwa kuwa mtapata thawabu kwa kazi yenu.”
But be you strong, and let not your hands be weakened: for there is a reward for your work.
8 Asa aliposikia maneno haya na unabii wa Azaria mwana wa Odedi nabii, akajipa moyo. Akaziondoa sanamu zote zilizokuwa machukizo katika nchi yote ya Yuda na Benyamini na kutoka miji aliyoiteka ya vilima vya Efraimu. Akakarabati madhabahu ya Bwana iliyokuwa mbele ya ukumbi wa Hekalu la Bwana.
And when [Asa] heard these words, and the prophesy of Adad the prophet, then he strengthened himself, and cast out the abominations from all the land of Juda and Benjamin, and from the cities which Jeroboam possessed, in mount Ephraim, and he renewed the altar of the Lord, which was before the temple of the Lord.
9 Kisha akakutanisha Yuda wote, Benyamini na watu kutoka Efraimu, watu wa Manase na Simeoni waliokuwa wanaishi miongoni mwao, kwa maana idadi kubwa walikuwa wamemjia kutoka Israeli walipoona kwamba Bwana Mungu wake alikuwa pamoja naye.
And he assembled Juda and Benjamin, and the strangers that lived with him, of Ephraim, and of Manasse, and of Symeon: for many of Israel were joined to him, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
10 Basi wakakusanyika huko Yerusalemu mwezi wa tatu katika mwaka wa kumi na tano wa utawala wa Asa.
And they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 Wakati huo wakamtolea Bwana dhabihu za ngʼombe 700, kondoo na mbuzi 7,000 kutoka zile nyara walizoteka.
And he sacrificed to the Lord in that day of the spoils which they brought, seven hundred calves and seven thousand sheep.
12 Wakafanya agano kumtafuta Bwana, Mungu wa baba zao kwa moyo wao wote na kwa roho yao yote.
And he entered into a covenant that they should seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul.
13 Wale wote ambao hawangemtafuta Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli wangelazimika kuuawa, akiwa mdogo au mkubwa, mwanaume au mwanamke.
And that whoever should not seek the Lord God of Israel, should die, whether young or old, whether man or woman.
14 Wakamwapia Bwana kwa sauti kuu, kwa kupiga kelele, tarumbeta na kwa mabaragumu.
And they swore to the Lord with a loud voice, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
15 Yuda wote wakafurahia kile kiapo kwa sababu walikuwa wameapa kwa moyo wao wote. Wakamtafuta Mungu kwa bidii, naye akaonekana kwao. Kwa hiyo Bwana akawastarehesha pande zote.
And all Juda rejoiced concerning the oath: for they swore with all their heart, and they sought him with all their desires; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.
16 Mfalme Asa akamwondolea Maaka mama yake wadhifa wake kama mama malkia kwa sababu alikuwa ametengeneza nguzo ya Ashera ya kuchukiza. Asa akaikata hiyo nguzo, akaivunjavunja na kuiteketeza kwa moto katika Bonde la Kidroni.
And he removed Maacha his mother from being priestess to Astarte; and he cut down the idol, and burnt it in the brook of Kedron.
17 Ijapokuwa hakuondoa mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu katika Israeli, moyo wa Asa ulikuwa umejiweka kwa Bwana kikamilifu maisha yake yote.
Nevertheless they removed not the high places: they still existed in Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 Akaleta ndani ya Hekalu la Mungu fedha na dhahabu na vile vyombo ambavyo yeye na baba yake walikuwa wameviweka wakfu.
And he brought in the holy things of David his father, and the holy things of the house of God, silver, and gold, and vessels.
19 Hapakuwepo vita tena mpaka mwaka wa thelathini na tano wa utawala wake Asa.
And there was no war [waged] with him until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.