2 Chronicles 15

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

And Azariah [the] son of Oded it was on him [the] spirit of God.

2 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.

And he went out before Asa and he said to him listen to me O Asa and all Judah and Benjamin Yahweh [is] with you when are you with him and if you will seek him he will let himself be found by you and if you will forsake him he will forsake you.

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

And days many [belonged] to Israel to not - [the] God of truth and to not a priest [who] teaches and to not [the] law.

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

And it turned back when it was distress to it to Yahweh [the] God of Israel and they sought him and he let himself be found by them.

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

And in the times those not peace [belonged] to the [one who] went out and to the [one who] came in for disturbances great [were] on all [the] inhabitants of the lands.

6 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.

And they were crushed nation by nation and city by city for God he troubled them with every trouble.

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

And you be strong and may not they drop hands your for there [is] reward for work your.

8 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].

And just as heard Asa the words these and the prophecy of (Azariah [the] son of *X) Oded the prophet he strengthened himself and he took away the detestable things from all [the] land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured from [the] hill country of Ephraim and he renewed [the] altar of Yahweh which [was] before [the] porch of Yahweh.

9 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.

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those [who] sojourned with them from Ephraim and Manasseh and from Simeon for they had fallen on him from Israel to multitude when saw they that Yahweh God his [was] with him.

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

And they gathered together Jerusalem in the month third of year fif-teen of [the] reign of Asa.

11 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].

And they sacrificed to Yahweh on the day that some of the booty [which] they had brought ox[en] seven hundred and sheep seven thousand.

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

And they went in the covenant to seek Yahweh [the] God of ancestors their with all heart their and with all being their.

13 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.

And every [one] who not he will seek Yahweh [the] God of Israel he will be put to death from small and unto great from man and unto woman.

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

And they swore an oath to Yahweh with a voice great and with a shout and with trumpets and with ram's horns.

15 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.

And they rejoiced all Judah on the oath for with all heart their they had sworn and with all will their they had sought him and he let himself be found by them and he gave rest Yahweh to them from round about.

16 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.

And also Maacah [the] mother of - Asa the king he removed her from queen-mother who she had made to an Asherah pole an abominable image and he cut down Asa abominable image her and he crushed [it] and he burned [it] in [the] wadi of Kidron.

17 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.

And the high places not they were removed from Israel only [the] heart of Asa it was complete all days his.

18 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].

And he brought [the] holy things of father his and own holy things his [the] house of God silver and gold and utensils.

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

And war not it was until year thirty and five of [the] reign of Asa.