1 ¶ And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Oded;

The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded:

2 a nd he went out to meet Asa and said unto him, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you, while ye are with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

and he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear 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 by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

3 F or many days Israel has been without the true God, and without a priest and without a teacher and without law,

Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

4 b ut when they in their trouble turned unto the LORD God of Israel and sought him, he was found of them.

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

5 A nd in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great destruction upon all the inhabitants of the lands.

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 A nd one Gentile destroyed the other, and one city the other; for God discomforted them with all adversity.

They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity.

7 B e ye strong, therefore, and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.

But you be strong, and don’t let your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded.”

8 ¶ And when Asa heard the words and prophecy of Oded, the prophet, he was comforted and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin and out of the cities which he had taken in Mount Ephraim and repaired the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.

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 A nd he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon, for many of Israel had gone over to him, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived 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 S o they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

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

11 A nd they offered unto the LORD the same day, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day, of the plunder which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.

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

They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;

13 t hat whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

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 A nd they swore unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting and with trumpets and with shofar.

They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

15 A nd all those of 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.

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 all around.

16 A nd 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.

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 B ut with all this the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless, the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

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

18 A nd 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.

He brought into God’s house the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

19 A nd there was no more war until the year thirty-five of the reign of Asa.

There was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.