< 2 Nyakati 15 >
1 Roho wa Bwana akamjia Azaria mwana wa Odedi.
And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
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 said to him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD [is] with you, while 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 Kwa muda mrefu Israeli walikuwa hawana Mungu wa kweli, walikuwa hawana kuhani wa kuwafundisha na wala hawakuwa na sheria.
Now for a long season Israel [hath been] without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 Lakini katika taabu yao walimrudia Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli na kumtafuta, naye akaonekana kwao.
But when they in their trouble returned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by 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 those times [there was] no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations [were] upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
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 was destroyed by nation, and city by city: for God troubled them with all adversity.
7 Lakini kwa habari yenu ninyi, kuweni hodari wala msikate tamaa, kwa kuwa mtapata thawabu kwa kazi yenu.”
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work shall be rewarded.
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 prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that [was] before the porch 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 gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they resorted to him out of Israel in multitudes, 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.
So 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 they offered to the LORD at the same time, of the spoil [which] they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 Wakafanya agano kumtafuta Bwana, Mungu wa baba zao kwa moyo wao wote na kwa roho yao yote.
And they entered into a covenant to 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.
That whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, 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 shouting, 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 Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found by them: and the LORD gave them rest on all sides.
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 also [concerning] Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped [it], and burnt [it] at the brook Kidron.
17 Ijapokuwa hakuondoa mahali pa juu pa kuabudia miungu katika Israeli, moyo wa Asa ulikuwa umejiweka kwa Bwana kikamilifu maisha yake yote.
But the high places were not taken away out of 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 into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
19 Hapakuwepo vita tena mpaka mwaka wa thelathini na tano wa utawala wake Asa.
And there was no [more] war until the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.