2 Chronicles 15 DBY
Summary: The prophet Azariah son of Oded meets Asa after his victory and declares that the LORD is with Judah as long as they seek him, warning that abandoning God brings abandonment in return, but promising reward for perseverance in doing right. Encouraged, Asa removes remaining detestable idols from Judah, Benjamin, and captured towns in Ephraim, and repairs the altar of the LORD before the temple porch. Asa gathers the people to renew their covenant with God, executing anyone who refused to seek the LORD, and even removes his own grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother for making an obscene image for an Asherah pole, which he burns; the chapter notes that though Asa's own high places were not entirely removed, his heart was fully committed to the LORD throughout his life, and there was peace until his thirty-fifth year.
1And the Spirit ofGod came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
2And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Jehovah 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.
3Now for a long while Israel [was] without the trueGod, and without a teaching priest, and without law;
4but in their trouble they turned to Jehovah theGod of Israel, and sought him, and he was found of them.
5And in those times there [was] no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in, but great disturbances were amongst all the inhabitants of the countries.
6And nation was broken against nation, and city against city; forGod disturbed them with all manner of distress.
7But as for you, be firm and let not your hands be weak; for there is a reward for your deeds.
8And 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 that he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of Jehovah, that was before the porch of Jehovah.
9And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon; for they fell away to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that Jehovah hisGod was with him.
10And they assembled themselves at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11And they sacrificed to Jehovah in that day, of the spoil that they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12And they entered into a covenant to seek Jehovah theGod of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soul,
13and that whoever would not seek Jehovah theGod of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14And they swore to Jehovah with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
15And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they took the oath with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them. And Jehovah gave them rest round about.
16And also Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol for the Asherah; and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it in the valley Kidron.
17But the high places were not removed from Israel; only, Asa's heart was perfect all his days.
18And he brought into the house ofGod the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.
19And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
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