2 Chronicles 15

Chapter 15

Asa’s Religious Reforms

1 Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded,2 and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The LORD will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them.

4 But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.
5 “During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land.6 Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem.

7 But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”

8 When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet,t he took courage and removed all the detestable idols from the land of Judah and Benjamin and in the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar of the LORD, which stood in front of the entry room of the LORD’s Temple.
9 Then Asa called together all the people of Judah and Benjamin, along with the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them. For many from Israel had moved to Judah during Asa’s reign when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

10 The people gathered at Jerusalem in late spring,t during the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.
11 On that day they sacrificed to the LORD 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle.12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.13 They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be put to death—whether young or old, man or woman.14 They shouted out their oath of loyalty to the LORD with trumpets blaring and rams’ horns sounding.

15 All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the LORD gave them rest from their enemies on every side.
16 King Asa even deposed his grandmothert Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole, broke it up, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.17 Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful throughout his life.

18 He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.

19 So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

2 CHRONICLES 15

Asa Destroys //the Idols in Judah

1 Some time later, God spoke to Azariah son of Oded.

2 At once, Azariah went to Asa and said:
Listen to me, King Asa and you people of Judah and Benjamin. The [Lord] will be with you and help you, as long as you obey and worship him. But if you disobey him, he will desert you.
3 For a long time, the people of Israel did not worship the true God or listen to priests who could teach them about God. They refused to obey God's Law.

4 But whenever trouble came, Israel turned back to the [Lord] their God and worshiped him.
5 There was so much confusion in those days that it wasn't safe to go anywhere in Israel.

6 Nations were destroying each other, and cities were wiping out other cities, because God was causing trouble and unrest everywhere.

7 So you must be brave. Don't give up! God will honor you for obeying him.

8 As soon as Asa heard what Azariah the prophet said, he gave orders for all the idols in Judah and Benjamin to be destroyed, including those in the towns he had captured in the territory of Ephraim. He also repaired the [Lord]'s altar that was in front of the temple porch.

9 Asa called together the people from Judah and Benjamin, as well as the people from the territories of Ephraim, West Manasseh, and Simeon who were living in Judah. Many of these people were now loyal to Asa, because they had seen that the [Lord] was with him.
10 In the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's rule, they all met in Jerusalem. 11 That same day, they took 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats from what they had brought back from Gerar and sacrificed them as offerings to the [Lord]. 12 They made a solemn promise to faithfully worship the [Lord] God their ancestors had worshiped, 13 and to put to death anyone who refused to obey him. 14 The crowd solemnly agreed to keep their promise to the [Lord], then they celebrated by shouting and blowing trumpets and horns.

15 Everyone was happy because they had made this solemn promise, and in return, the [Lord] blessed them with peace from all their enemies.
16 Asa's grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting idol of the goddess Asherah, so he cut it down, crushed it, and burned it in Kidron Valley. Then he removed Maacah from her position as queen mother.t 17 As long as Asa lived, he was faithful to the [Lord], even though he did not destroy the local shrinest in Israel.

18 He placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to God.
19 There was peace in Judah until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's rule.