2 Chronicles 15 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Azariah the Prophet Warns Asa

1 Now the Spirit ^H7307 of God ^H430 came ^H1961 on Azariah ^H5838 the son ^H1121 of Oded ^H5752,

2 and he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 [fn]to meet ^H6440 Asa ^H609 and said ^H559 to him, “Listen ^H8085 to me, Asa ^H609, and all ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 and Benjamin ^H1144: the LORD ^H3068 is with you when you are with Him. And if ^H518 you seek ^H1875 Him, He will let you find ^H4672 Him; but if ^H518 you abandon ^H5800 Him, He will abandon ^H5800 you. 3 For many ^H7227 days ^H3117 Israel ^H3478 was without ^H3808 the true ^H571 God ^H430 and without ^H3808 a teaching ^H3384 priest ^H3548 and without ^H3808 the Law ^H8451. 4 But in their distress ^H6862 they turned ^H7725 to the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, and they sought ^H1245 Him, and He let them find ^H4672 Him. 5 In those ^H1992 times ^H6256 there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 peace ^H7965 for him who went ^H3318 out ^H3318 or him who came ^H935 in ^H935, because ^H3588 many ^H7227 disturbances ^H4103 [fn]afflicted ^H5921 all ^H3605 the inhabitants ^H3427 of the lands ^H776. 6 Nation ^H1471 was crushed ^H3807 by nation ^H1471, and city ^H5892 by city ^H5892, for God ^H430 troubled ^H2000 them with every ^H3605 kind of distress ^H6869. 7 But you, be strong ^H2388 and do not [fn]lose ^H3027 H7503 courage ^H3027 H7503, for there ^H3426 is ^H3426 a reward ^H7939 for your work ^H6468.”

Asa’s Reforms

8 Now when Asa ^H609 heard ^H8085 these ^H428 words ^H1697 and the [fn]prophecy ^H5016 which Azariah ^H5838 the son of Oded ^H5752 the prophet ^H5030 spoke, he took ^H2388 courage ^H2388 and removed ^H5674 the abominable ^H8251 idols ^H8251 from all ^H3605 the land ^H776 of Judah ^H3063 and Benjamin ^H1144, and from the cities ^H5892 which ^H834 he had captured ^H3920 in the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669. He then restored ^H2318 the altar ^H4196 of the LORD ^H3068 which ^H834 was in front ^H6440 of the porch ^H197 of the LORD ^H3068.

9 And he gathered ^H6908 all ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 and Benjamin ^H1144, and those from Ephraim ^H669, Manasseh ^H4519, and Simeon ^H8095 who resided ^H1481 with them, for many ^H7230 defected ^H5307 to him from Israel ^H3478 when they saw ^H7200 that the LORD ^H3068 his God ^H430 was with him. 10 So they assembled ^H6908 at Jerusalem ^H3389 in the third ^H7992 month ^H2320 of the fifteenth ^H2568 H6240 year ^H8141 of Asa’s ^H609 reign ^H4438. 11 They sacrificed ^H2076 to the LORD ^H3068 on that day ^H3117 seven ^H7651 hundred ^H3967 oxen ^H1241 and seven ^H7651 thousand ^H505 sheep ^H6629 from the spoils ^H7998 they had brought ^H935. 12 They entered ^H935 into the covenant ^H1285 to seek ^H1875 the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of their fathers ^H1 with all ^H3605 their heart ^H3824 and soul ^H5315; 13 and whoever ^H834 H3605 would not seek ^H1875 the LORD ^H3068 God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478 was to be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191, whether ^H4480 small ^H6996 or ^H5704 great ^H1419, man ^H376 or ^H5704 woman ^H802. 14 Moreover, they made ^H7650 an ^H7650 oath ^H7650 to the LORD ^H3068 with a loud ^H1419 voice ^H6963, with shouting ^H8643, trumpets ^H2689, and with horns ^H7782. 15 All ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 rejoiced ^H8055 concerning ^H5921 the oath ^H7621, for they had sworn ^H7650 with all ^H3605 their heart ^H3824 and had sought ^H1245 Him [fn]earnestly ^H3605 H7522, and He let them find ^H4672 Him. So the LORD ^H3068 gave ^H5117 them rest ^H5117 on every ^H5439 side ^H5439.

16 He also ^H1571 removed ^H5493 Maacah ^H4601, the mother ^H517 of King ^H4428 Asa ^H609, from the position of queen ^H1377 mother ^H1377, because ^H834 she had made ^H6213 an abominable ^H4656 image ^H4656 [fn]as an Asherah ^H842, and Asa ^H609 cut ^H3772 down ^H3772 her abominable ^H4656 image ^H4656, crushed ^H1854 it, and burned ^H8313 it at the brook ^H5158 Kidron ^H6939. 17 But the high ^H1116 places ^H1116 were not removed ^H5493 from Israel ^H3478; nevertheless ^H7534 Asa’s ^H609 heart ^H3824 was blameless ^H8003 all ^H3605 his days ^H3117. 18 He brought ^H935 into the house ^H1004 of God ^H430 the dedicated ^H6944 things ^H6944 of his father ^H1 and his own dedicated ^H6944 things ^H6944: silver ^H3701, gold ^H2091, and utensils ^H3627. 19 And there was no ^H3808 more war ^H4421 until ^H5704 the thirty-fifth ^H7970 H2568 year ^H8141 of Asa’s ^H609 reign ^H4438.