٢ أخبار 15

١ 1 وَكَانَ رُوحُ ٱللهِ عَلَى عَزَرْيَا بْنِ عُودِيدَ،

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.

٢ 2 فَخَرَجَ لِلِقَاءِ آسَا وَقَالَ لَهُ: «ٱسْمَعُوا لِي يَا آسَا وَجَمِيعَ يَهُوذَا وَبَنْيَامِينَ. ٱلرَّبُّ مَعَكُمْ مَا كُنْتُمْ مَعَهُ، وَإِنْ طَلَبْتُمُوهُ يُوجَدْ لَكُمْ، وَإِنْ تَرَكْتُمُوهُ يَتْرُكْكُمْ.

Azariah went to talk with Asa, and said to him, “Asa and all [you men of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. Yahweh is with you whenever you are trusting in him. If you request him [to help you], he will help you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.

٣ 3 وَلِإِسْرَائِيلَ أَيَّامٌ كَثِيرَةٌ بِلَا إِلَهٍ حَقٍّ وَبِلَا كَاهِنٍ مُعَلِّمٍ وَبِلَا شَرِيعَةٍ.

For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.

٤ 4 وَلَكِنْ لَمَّا رَجَعُوا عِنْدَمَا تَضَايَقُوا إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَطَلَبُوهُ وُجِدَ لَهُمْ.

But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.

٥ 5 وَفِي تِلْكَ ٱلْأَزْمَانِ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَمَانٌ لِلْخَارِجِ وَلَا لِلدَّاخِلِ، لِأَنَّ ٱضْطِرَابَاتٍ كَثِيرَةً كَانَتْ عَلَى كُلِّ سُكَّانِ ٱلْأَرَاضِي.

At that time, people were not safe when they traveled, because all the people who lived in the nearby countries were experiencing many difficulties.

٦ 6 فَأُفْنِيَتْ أُمَّةٌ بِأُمَّةٍ وَمَدِينَةٌ بِمَدِينَةٍ، لِأَنَّ ٱللهَ أَزْعَجَهُمْ بِكُلِّ ضِيقٍ.

The people of various nations were thoroughly defeated by [armies of] other nations, and people in some cities were crushed by [armies from] other cities, because God was allowing them to experience many difficulties.

٧ 7 فَتَشَدَّدُوا أَنْتُمْ وَلَا تَرْتَخِ أَيْدِيكُمْ لِأَنَّ لِعَمَلِكُمْ أَجْرًا».

But you people, you must be strong and do not become discouraged, because [God] will reward you for what you do [to please him.”]

٨ 8 فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ آسَا هَذَا ٱلْكَلَامَ وَنُبُوَّةَ عُودِيدَ ٱلنَّبِيِّ، تَشَدَّدَ وَنَزَعَ ٱلرَّجَاسَاتِ مِنْ كُلِّ أَرْضِ يَهُوذَا وَبَنْيَامِينَ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُدُنِ ٱلَّتِي أَخَذَهَا مِنْ جَبَلِ أَفْرَايِمَ، وَجَدَّدَ مَذْبَحَ ٱلرَّبِّ ٱلَّذِي أَمَامَ رِوَاقِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

When Asa heard what the prophet Azariah said, he was encouraged. He [commanded his workers to] remove all the detestable idols from everywhere in the land of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and from the towns that [his soldiers] had captured in the hills of the tribe of Ephraim. Asa’s workers repaired the altar [where people offered sacrifices] to Yahweh that was in front of the entrance to the temple [in Jerusalem].

٩ 9 وَجَمَعَ كُلَّ يَهُوذَا وَبَنْيَامِينَ وَٱلْغُرَبَاءَ مَعَهُمْ مِنْ أَفْرَايِمَ وَمَنَسَّى وَمِنْ شِمْعُونَ، لِأَنَّهُمْ سَقَطُوا إِلَيْهِ مِنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ بِكَثْرَةٍ حِينَ رَأَوْا أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَهُ مَعَهُ.

Then he gathered all [the people of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin and many people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living among them. [He was able to do that] because many people from [those tribes in] Israel had come to me to Judah when they realized that Yahweh, the God that Asa [worshiped], was helping him.

١٠ 10 فَٱجْتَمَعُوا فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ فِي ٱلشَّهْرِ ٱلثَّالِثِ فِي ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلْخَامِسَةَ عَشَرَةَ لِمُلْكِ آسَا،

After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.

١١ 11 وَذَبَحُوا لِلرَّبِّ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ مِنَ ٱلْغَنِيمَةِ ٱلَّتِي جَلَبُوا سَبْعَ مِئَةٍ مِنَ ٱلْبَقَرِ، وَسَبْعَةَ آلَافٍ مِنَ ٱلضَّأْنِ.

At that time they sacrificed to Yahweh 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats, from the animals that they had captured [when they defeated the army of Ethiopia/Sudan].

١٢ 12 وَدَخَلُوا فِي عَهْدٍ أَنْ يَطْلُبُوا ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَ آبَائِهِمْ بِكُلِّ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَكُلِّ أَنْفُسِهِمْ.

They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].

١٣ 13 حَتَّى إِنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ لَا يَطْلُبُ ٱلرَّبَّ إِلَهَ إِسْرَائِيلَ يُقْتَلُ مِنَ ٱلصَّغِيرِ إِلَى ٱلْكَبِيرِ، مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ وَٱلنِّسَاءِ.

They promised to execute all those who would not worship Yahweh, including those who were important and those who were not important, both men and women.

١٤ 14 وَحَلَفُوا لِلرَّبِّ بِصَوْتٍ عَظِيمٍ وَهُتَافٍ وَبِأَبْوَاقٍ وَقُرُونٍ.

They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.

١٥ 15 وَفَرِحَ كُلُّ يَهُوذَا مِنْ أَجْلِ ٱلْحَلْفِ، لِأَنَّهُمْ حَلَفُوا بِكُلِّ قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَطَلَبُوهُ بِكُلِّ رِضَاهُمْ فَوُجِدَ لَهُمْ، وَأَرَاحَهُمُ ٱلرَّبُّ مِنْ كُلِّ جِهَةٍ.

All the people who were living in Judah were happy with the agreement because they had solemnly and very sincerely promised to keep it. They eagerly requested help from Yahweh, and he helped them. So he enabled them to have peace throughout their country.

١٦ 16 حَتَّى إِنَّ مَعْكَةَ أُمَّ آسَا ٱلْمَلِكِ خَلَعَهَا مِنْ أَنْ تَكُونَ مَلِكَةً لِأَنَّهَا عَمِلَتْ لِسَارِيَةٍ تِمْثَالًا، وَقَطَعَ آسَا تِمْثَالَهَا وَدَقَّهُ وَأَحْرَقَهُ فِي وَادِي قَدْرُونَ.

King Asa’s grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting pole for [worshiping the goddess] Asherah. So Asa [commanded his workers to] cut down that pole and chop it into pieces and burn it in the Kidron Valley. He then did not allow Maacah to continue [to influence the people because of her] being the mother of the previous king.

١٧ 17 وَأَمَّا ٱلْمُرْتَفَعَاتُ فَلَمْ تُنْزَعْ مِنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ. إِلَّا أَنَّ قَلْبَ آسَا كَانَ كَامِلًا كُلَّ أَيَّامِهِ.

Although Asa’s [workers] did not get rid of the shrines on the hilltops in Israel, he was very determined to [do what] pleased Yahweh all his life.

١٨ 18 وَأَدْخَلَ أَقْدَاسَ أَبِيهِ وَأَقْدَاسَهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ ٱللهِ مِنَ ٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْآنِيَةِ.

He [ordered his workers to] bring into God’s temple all the silver and gold and other valuable items that he and his father had dedicated [to God].

١٩ 19 وَلَمْ تَكُنْ حَرْبٌ إِلَى ٱلسَّنَةِ ٱلْخَامِسَةِ وَٱلثَّلَاثِينَ لِمُلْكِ آسَا.

There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.