1 N a ka eke te wairua o te Atua ki runga i a Ataria tama a Orere:

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.

2 N a ka haere ia ki te whakatau i a Aha, ka mea ki a ia, Whakarongo ki ahau, e Aha, koutou ko Hura katoa, ko Pineamine; kei a koutou a Ihowa, i te mea i a ia koutou. Ki te rapua hoki ia e koutou, e kitea ia e koutou. Ki te whakarerea ia e koutou ka whakarerea koutou e ia.

Azariah 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 look for Him, He will let you find Him. But if you leave Him, He will leave you.

3 N a ka maha enei ra i kore ai te Atua pono i a Iharaira, kahore he tohunga hei whakaako, kahore he ture.

For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching religious leader, and without law.

4 I a ratou ia i te mate, ka tahuri ratou ki a Ihowa, ki te Atua o Iharaira, rapu ana i a ia, a kitea ana ia e ratou.

But in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel. They looked for Him, and He let them find Him.

5 K ahore hoki he maunga rongo i aua wa, e haere atu ai tetahi, e haere mai ai ranei; he nui hoki nga whakararuraru o nga tangata katoa o nga whenua.

In those times there was no peace for him who went out, or for him who came in. For much trouble came to all the people of the lands.

6 K ua pakaru rikiriki hoki ratou, tetahi iwi i tetahi, tetahi pa i tetahi: na te Atua hoki ratou i whakararu ki nga aitua katoa.

Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God sent every kind of trouble upon them.

7 K o koutou ia, kia kaha; kaua o koutou ringa e ngoikore, no te mea ka whai utu ta koutou mahi.

But you be strong. Do not lose strength of heart. For you will be paid for your work.”

8 A , i te rongonga o Aha i enei kupu, i te poropititanga a Orere poropiti, ka maia ia, a whakakahoretia ana e ia nga whakapakoko whakarihariha puta noa i te whenua o Hura raua ko Pineamine, i nga pa ano hoki o te whenua pukepuke o Eparaima i riro i a ia. I whakahoutia ano hoki e ia te aata i mua i te whakamahau o Ihowa.

When Asa heard these words and the words of Azariah the son of Oded, his heart became strong. He put away the sinful false gods from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim. He built again the altar of the Lord which was in front of the porch of the Lord’s house.

9 I huihuia ano e ia a Hura katoa raua ko Pineamine, me nga manene e noho ana i a ratou o roto o Eparaima, o Manahi, o Himiona: i papahoro hoki enei ki a ia, tona tini, i roto i a Iharaira, i to ratou kitenga kei a ia a Ihowa, tona Atua.

Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, who lived with them. For many had left Israel to come to him when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

10 H eoi huihui ana ratou ki Hiruharama i te toru o nga marama o te tekau ma rima o nga tau o te kingitanga o Aha.

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

11 P atua iho e ratou i taua wa ano hei whakahere ma Ihowa etahi o nga mea i riro i a ratou i te parekura, e whitu rau kau, e whitu mano hipi hoki.

They killed animals on the altar in worship to the Lord that day. They killed and gave 700 cattle and 7, 000 sheep from the animals they had taken in battle.

12 N a ka uru ratou ki te kawenata kia whakapaua o ratou ngakau, o ratou wairua ki te rapu i a Ihowa, i te Atua o o ratou matua;

And they agreed to follow the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and soul.

13 A , ko te tangata e kore e rapu i a Ihowa, i te Atua o Iharaira, kia whakamatea, ahakoa iti, ahakoa rahi, ahakoa tana, ahakoa wahine.

Whoever would not follow the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, young or old, man or woman.

14 N ui atu to ratou reo ki te oati ki a Ihowa; hamama ana, tangi ana nga tetere me nga koronete.

They made a promise to the Lord with a loud voice, calling out and blowing horns.

15 N a koa katoa a Hura ki taua oati; kua whakapaua hoki o ratou ngakau ki te oati; kua riro pu ano to ratou hiahia ki te rapu i a ia. I kitea ano ia e ratou, a ka meinga e Ihowa kia ta o ratou manawa i tetahi taha, i tetahi taha.

All Judah was filled with joy because of the promise. For they had promised with their whole heart. They had looked for the Lord with a pure heart. And He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.

16 N a ko Maaka ano, ko te whaea o Kingi Aha, whakamutua ake e ia tona kuinitanga, mona i hanga i te whakapakoko whakarihariha hei Ahera; tapahia iho hoki e Aha tana whakapakoko, tukia ana kia ririki, tahuna ake ki te taha o te awa o Kitirono.

King Asa even stopped his mother from being queen mother. Because she had made a sinful object of the false goddess Asherah. Asa cut down her sinful object. He crushed it and burned it at the Kidron River.

17 O tiia kihai i whakakorea nga wahi tiketike i roto i a Iharaira. He ahakoa ra, i tapatahi te ngakau o Aha i ona ra katoa.

But the high places were not taken away from Israel. Yet Asa’s heart was without blame all his days.

18 I kawea hoki e ia ki te whare o te Atua nga mea i whakatapua e tona papa, me nga mea i whakatapua e ia ano, te hiriwa, te koura, me nga oko.

He brought into the house of God the holy things of his father and his own holy things. He brought in silver and gold and the things used for the worship.

19 N a kore ake he whawhai, a tae noa ki te toru tekau ma rima o nga tau o te kingitanga o Aha.

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