^{1 Ref} And the spirit of God came on Azariah, the son of Oded;

^{2 Ref} And he came face to face with Asa and said to him, Give ear to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin: the Lord is with you while you are with him; if your heart's desire is for him, he will be near you, but if you give him up, he will give you up.

^{3 Ref} Now for a long time Israel has been without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without the law;

^{4 Ref} But when in their trouble they were turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, searching after him, he let their search be rewarded.

^{5 Ref} In those times there was no peace for him who went out or for him who came in, but great trouble was on all the people of the lands.

^{6 Ref} And they were broken by divisions, nation against nation and town against town, because God sent all sorts of trouble on them.

^{7 Ref} But be you strong and let not your hands be feeble, for your work will be rewarded.

^{8 Ref} And Asa, hearing these words of Azariah, the son of Oded the prophet, took heart and put away all the disgusting things out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the towns which he had taken from the hill-country of Ephraim; and he made new again the altar of the Lord in front of the covered way of the Lord's house.

^{9 Ref} And he got together all Judah and Benjamin and those of Ephraim and Manasseh and Simeon who were living with them; for numbers of them came to him out of Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

^{10 Ref} So they came together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the rule of Asa.

^{11 Ref} And that day they made offerings to the Lord of the things they had taken in war, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

^{12 Ref} And they made an agreement to be true to the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and all their soul;

^{13 Ref} And that anyone, small or great, man or woman, who was not true to the Lord, the God of Israel, would be put to death.

^{14 Ref} And they made an oath to the Lord, with a loud voice, sounding wind-instruments and horns.

^{15 Ref} And all Judah was glad because of the oath, for they had taken it with all their heart, turning to the Lord with all their desire; and he was with them and gave them rest on every side.

^{16 Ref} And Asa would not let Maacah, his mother, be queen, because she had made a disgusting image for Asherah; and Asa had her image cut down and broken up and burned by the stream Kidron.

^{17 Ref} But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; but still the heart of Asa was true to the Lord all his life.

^{18 Ref} He took into the house of God all the things which his father had made holy and those which he himself had made holy, silver and gold and vessels.

^{19 Ref} And there was no more war till the thirty-fifth year of the rule of Asa.

^{1 Ref} The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded:

^{2 Ref} and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear you me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Yahweh is with you, while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

^{3 Ref} Now for a long season Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law:

^{4 Ref} But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

^{5 Ref} In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great vexations were on all the inhabitants of the lands.

^{6 Ref} They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God did vex them with all adversity.

^{7 Ref} But be you strong, and don't let your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded.

^{8 Ref} When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill-country of Ephraim; and he renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh.

^{9 Ref} He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who sojourned with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him.

^{10 Ref} So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

^{11 Ref} They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

^{12 Ref} They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;

^{13 Ref} and that whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

^{14 Ref} They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

^{15 Ref} 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 of them: and Yahweh gave them rest round about.

^{16 Ref} Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image, and made dust of it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

^{17 Ref} But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

^{18 Ref} 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 Ref} There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

^{1 Ref} And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

^{2 Ref} And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

^{3 Ref} Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

^{4 Ref} But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

^{5 Ref} 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 Ref} And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.

^{7 Ref} Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

^{8 Ref} 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 Ref} And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

^{10 Ref} So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

^{11 Ref} And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

^{12 Ref} And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

^{13 Ref} That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

^{14 Ref} And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

^{15 Ref} 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 of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.

^{16 Ref} 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 Ref} But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

^{18 Ref} 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 Ref} And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.