2 Chronicles, 15

1. The spirit of God then came on Azariah son of Oded;

1. The Spirit of God came upon Azari'ah the son of Oded,

2. he went out to meet Asa and said, 'Listen to me, Asa, and all you in Judah and in Benjamin: Yahweh will be with you so long as you are with him. If you seek him, he will let you find him; but if you desert him, he will desert you.

2. and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you, while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

3. For a long time Israel did not have the true God or a teacher-priest or a law,

3. For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law;

4. but when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, God of Israel, and sought him, he let them find him.

4. but when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.

5. In those times there was no security for people as they went about their business, but great unrest affecting the inhabitants of all countries,

5. In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.

6. nation being crushed by nation and city by city, since God caused confusion among them by every kind of distress.

6. They were broken in pieces, nation against nation and city against city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress.

7. So be strong, do not be discouraged, for your deeds will be rewarded.'

7. But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded."

8. When Asa heard these words and the prophecy, he took courage and removed the abominable idols throughout the land of Judah and Benjamin as well as from the towns which he had captured in the highlands of Ephraim, and repaired the altar of Yahweh which stood in front of the portico of Yahweh.

8. When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azari'ah the son of Oded, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the hill country of E'phraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD.

9. He summoned all Judah and Benjamin as well as those Ephraimites, Manassehites and Simeonites who had settled with them -- for a great many people from Israel had gone over to Asa when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.

9. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from E'phraim, Manas'seh, and Simeon who were sojourning with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

10. They assembled in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign,

10. They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

11. that day sacrificing to Yahweh seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from the booty which they had brought back.

11. They sacrificed to the LORD on that day, from the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

12. They then made a covenant to seek Yahweh, God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul;

12. And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;

13. anyone who would not seek Yahweh, God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether high or low, man or woman.

13. and that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

14. They pledged their oath to Yahweh in ringing tones, with shouts of joy, to the sound of trumpet and horn;

14. They took oath to the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with horns.

15. all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it wholeheartedly, and sought him so earnestly that he allowed them to find him; Yahweh gave them peace all round.

15. And all Judah rejoiced over the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart, and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest round about.

16. King Asa even deprived his mother Maacah of the dignity of Great Lady for having made an obscenity for Asherah; Asa cut down her obscenity, smashed it and burnt it in the ravine of the Kidron.

16. Even Ma'acah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Ashe'rah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.

17. Though the high places were not abolished in Israel, Asa's heart was loyal throughout his life.

17. But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was blameless all his days.

18. He deposited his father's and his own dedicated gifts of silver, gold and sacred vessels, in the Temple of Yahweh.

18. And he brought into the house of God the votive gifts of his father and his own votive gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

19. Up to the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign there was no war.

19. And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.