2 Meʻa Hokohoko 15

1 Pea naʻe hoko mai ʻae Laumālie ʻoe ʻOtua kia ʻAsalia ko e foha ʻo Oteti:

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.

2 Pea naʻe ʻalu kituʻa ia ke fakafetaulaki kia ʻAsa ʻo ne pehē kiate ia, “ʻE ʻAsa, mo Siuta kotoa pē, mo Penisimani, mou fanongo kiate au. ʻOku ʻiate kimoutolu ʻa Sihova, lolotonga ʻoku mou ʻiate ia: pea kapau ʻoku mou kumi kiate ia, te ne tuku ke mou ʻilo ia: pea kapau ʻoku mou liʻaki ia, te ne liʻaki ʻakimoutolu.

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 Pea ko eni, kuo nofo fuoloa ʻa ʻIsileli ʻo masiva ʻOtua moʻoni, pea masiva taulaʻeiki ke akonaki, pea masiva fono.

For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.

4 Ka ʻi heʻenau tafoki ʻi heʻenau mamahi kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻonau kumi ia, naʻe ʻilo ia ʻekinautolu.

But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.

5 Pea ʻi he ngaahi kuonga ko ia naʻe ʻikai ha fiemālie kiate ia naʻe ʻalu kituaʻā, pe kiate ia naʻe haʻu ki loto, ka naʻe ʻi he kakai kotoa pē ʻoe ngaahi fonua ʻae ngaahi mamahi lahi.

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 Pea naʻe fakaʻauha ʻae puleʻanga ʻe taha ʻe he puleʻanga ʻe taha, mo e kolo ʻae kolo: he naʻe fakamamahi ʻakinautolu ʻe he ʻOtua ʻi he ngaahi meʻa mamahi kotoa pē.

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 Ko ia ke mou mālohi, pea ʻoua naʻa tuku ke vaivai homou nima: he ko hoʻomou ngāue ʻe totongi ia.”

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 Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻe ʻAsa ki he ngaahi lea ni, mo e akonaki ʻa Oteti ko e palōfita, naʻa ne fiemālie ai, pea tukuange leva ʻe ia ʻae ngaahi ʻotua loi mo e kovi lahi, mei he fonua kotoa pē ʻo Siuta mo Penisimani, pea mei he ngaahi kolo naʻa ne toki maʻu, pea mei he moʻunga ko ʻIfalemi, pea ne fakafoʻou ʻae feilaulauʻanga ʻo Sihova, ʻaia naʻe ʻi he mata ʻoe fale hala ʻo Sihova.

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 Pea ne fakataha ʻa Siuta kotoa pē mo Penisimani, fakataha mo e kau muli meia ʻIfalemi mo Manase, pea meia Simione: he naʻe haʻu ʻae tokolahi kiate ia mei ʻIsileli, ʻi heʻenau mamata ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻa Sihova ko hono ʻOtua.

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 Ko ia naʻa nau fakakātoa ai ʻakinautolu ʻi Selūsalema, ʻi hono tolu ʻoe māhina, ʻi hono hongofulu ma nima ʻoe taʻu ʻoe pule ʻa ʻAsa.

After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.

11 Pea naʻa nau ʻatu kia Sihova ʻi he kuonga ko ia, ʻi he vete naʻa nau fetuku, ko e fanga pulu ʻe fitungeau mo e fanga sipi ʻe fitu afe.

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 Pea naʻa nau alea fakataha ʻo fai ʻae fuakava ke nau kumi kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻenau ngaahi tamai ʻaki honau loto kotoa mo honau laumālie kotoa:

They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].

13 ‌ʻO pehē, ke ʻilonga ia ʻe ʻikai loto ke kumi kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ke tāmateʻi ia, ko ha siʻi ia pe ko e lahi, ko e tangata ia pe ko e fefine.

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 Pea naʻa nau fuakava kia Sihova ʻi he leʻo lahi, pea ʻi he mavava, mo e ngaahi meʻalea, pea mo e ngaahi meʻa ifi.

They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.

15 Pea naʻe fiefia ʻa Siuta kotoa pē ʻi he fuakava: he naʻa nau fuakava ʻaki honau loto kotoa: pea naʻe hā mai ia kiate kinautolu: pea naʻe foaki ʻe Sihova kiate kinautolu ʻae fiemālie mei he potu kotoa pē.

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 Pea ko e meʻa kia Meaka ko e faʻē ʻa ʻAsa ko e tuʻi, naʻa ne liua ia ke ʻoua naʻa pule ia, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene ngaohi ʻae ʻotua loi ʻi he vao tapu: pea naʻe tā hifo ʻe ʻAsa hono ʻotua loi, pea naʻe laiki ia, pea tutu ia ʻi he veʻe vaitafe ko Kitiloni.

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 Ka naʻe ʻikai hiki ʻae ngaahi potu māʻolunga mei ʻIsileli: ka ko e moʻoni naʻe angatotonu ʻae loto ʻo ʻAsa ʻi hono ngaahi ʻaho kotoa pē.

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 Pea naʻe fetuku ʻe ia ki he fale ʻoe ʻOtua ʻae ngaahi meʻa naʻe fakatapui ʻe heʻene tamai, mo e meʻa naʻa ne fakatapui ʻe ia, ʻae siliva, mo e koula, mo e ngaahi ipu.

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 Pea naʻe ʻikai ha tau ʻo aʻu ki he taʻu ʻe tolungofulu ma nima ʻoe pule ʻo ʻAsa.

There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.