15
1 The
Spirit of God came
on Azariah the
son of Oded.
2 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; and if
you seek him,
he will be
found by you;
but if you
forsake him, he
will forsake you.
3 Now
for a long
time Israel was
without the true
God, without a
teaching priest,
and without law.
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 peace
to him who
went out, nor
to him who
came in; but
great troubles were
on all the
inhabitants of
the lands.
6 They
were broken in
pieces, nation
against nation,
and city against
city; for God
troubled them with
all adversity.
7 But
you be strong!
Don’t let your
hands be slack,
for your work
will be rewarded.”
8 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 LORD’s
altar that was
before the LORD’s
porch.
9 He
gathered all Judah
and Benjamin, and
those who lived
with them out
of Ephraim, Manasseh,
and Simeon; for
they came to
him out of
Israel in
abundance when
they saw that
the LORD his
God was with
him.
10 So they
gathered themselves
together at
Jerusalem in the
third month, in
the fifteenth year
of Asa’s reign.
11 They
sacrificed to the
LORD in that
day, of the
plunder which they
had brought, seven
hundred head of
cattle and
seven thousand sheep.
12 They entered
into the covenant
to seek the
LORD, the God
of their fathers,
with all their
heart and with
all their soul;
13 and
that whoever would
not seek the
LORD, the God
of Israel, should
be put to
death, whether
small or great,
whether man
or woman.
14 They
swore to the
LORD with a
loud voice, with
shouting, with
trumpets, and with
cornets.
15 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. Then
the LORD gave
them rest all
around.
16 Also
Maacah, the mother
of Asa the king,
he removed from
being queen mother,
because she had
made an abominable
image for
an Asherah; so Asa
cut down her
image, ground it
into dust, and
burned it at
the brook Kidron.
17 But
the high places
were not taken
away out of
Israel; nevertheless
the heart of Asa
was perfect all
his days.
18 He brought
the things that
his father had
dedicated and that
he himself had
dedicated, silver,
gold, and vessels
into God’s house.
19 There
was no more
war to the
thirty-fifth year
of Asa’s reign.