2 Chronicles 15

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

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

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.

Na 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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Kahore 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.

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.

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

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.”]

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

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].

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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].

Patua 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.

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

Na 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;

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Na 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.

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.

Na 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.

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.

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

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].

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.

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

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