2 Chronicles 15

Modern

Literal

The Prophecy of Azariah

¹Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.

¹And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.

²So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

²And he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. YHWH is with you in your being with Him, and if you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

³For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law.

³And many days were to Israel without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

⁴But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.

⁴And they turned in their distress to YHWH, God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He was found by them.

⁵In those days there was no safety for travelers, because the residents of the lands had many conflicts.

⁵And in those times there was no peace for one going out, and for one coming in, but great turmoil was upon all those dwelling in the lands.

⁶Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God afflicted them with all kinds of adversity.

⁶And they were beaten down nation by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every distress.

⁷But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”

⁷And you, be strong and do not let your hands be feeble, for there is reward for your work.”

Asa’s Reforms

⁸When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded^a the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.

⁸And Asa, hearing these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, strengthened himself and removed the abominations from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he restored the altar of YHWH that was before the face of the portico of YHWH.

⁹And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, along with those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, for great numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

⁹And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim and Manasseh and Simeon, for they fell on him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that YHWH his God was with him.

¹⁰So they gathered together in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.

¹⁰And they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

¹¹At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from all the plunder they had brought back.

¹¹And they offered to YHWH at that time from the plunder they had brought—seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

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

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

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

¹³And whoever would not seek YHWH, God of Israel, was to be put to death, from small and to great, from man and to woman.

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

¹⁴And they took an oath to YHWH in a loud voice, and with shouting and trumpets and shofars.

¹⁵And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

¹⁵And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and with all their soul they had sought Him, and He was found by them. And YHWH gave rest to them all around.

¹⁶King Asa also removed his grandmother^a Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

¹⁶And Maacah mother of Asa the king—he removed her as queen mother because she had made a detestable thing to Asherah. And Asa cut down her detestable thing, and he crushed it and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

¹⁷The high places were not removed from Israel, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted all his days.

¹⁷And the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

¹⁸And he brought into the house of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

¹⁸And he brought the holy things of his father, and his holy things, into the house of God: Silver and gold and vessels.

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

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