2 Chronicles 15
The Voice
15 The Spirit of the True God gave a prophecy to Azariah, the son of Oded, who relayed it to Asa and his people.
Azariah: 2 Asa and all of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, listen to me! God responds to you as you respond to Him: If you are with the Eternal, then He is with you. If you look for Him, then He will let you find Him. But if you abandon Him, then He will abandon you. So learn from the mistakes of your ancestors. 3 For a long time, the tribes of Israel were without the True God, His priests, and His laws. 4 But when they were distressed by wars and oppression, they returned to the Eternal One, the True God of Israel. They sought Him, and He let them find Him. 5 In those times before the monarchy, no one traveling had a peaceful life. Everyone in the lands had numerous difficulties; 6 nations and cities fought back and forth, destroying each other again and again. Because of their disobedience, the True God troubled them constantly. 7 But you, who are devoted to being with God and searching for God, be strong and do not lose courage because your actions will reap rewards.
8 Asa responded to the message of Azariah the son of Oded the prophet with that courage and strength. He removed the abominable idols from the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had conquered from the Northern Kingdom in the hill country of Ephraim. Then he repaired the Eternal’s altar in front of the porch of His temple. 9-10 During the Festival of Weeks in the 3rd month of the 15th year of his reign, Asa assembled in Jerusalem all of Judah and Benjamin and those from the Northern territories of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had moved to the Southern Kingdom when they realized the Eternal One, his True God, was with Asa. 11 That day, they sacrificed to the Eternal 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the wealth they gained during their war against Cush, 12 signifying their covenant agreeing to seek the Eternal One, True God of their ancestors, in everything they did. 13 They decided that anyone (man or woman, young or old, important or insignificant) who would not seek the Eternal One, the True God of Israel, should be executed in accordance with His command,[a] 14 and they promised this to the Eternal with loud voices, shouting, trumpets, and horns. 15 All of the Southern Kingdom rejoiced at their decisions and their vow because they had acted on Azariah’s prophecy: they had promised to look for Him and only Him earnestly and entirely, and they knew He would let them find Him. In response to the promises, the Eternal gave peace in their lives and with their neighbors.
16 Asa continued his reforms even after this. He also removed his own mother, Maacah, from her position as queen mother because she had continued in her idol worship, making a carved image of Asherah. Asa cut down the cultic statue, crushed it, and burned it beside the brook Kidron. 17 In spite of his work against idol worship, he did not remove the high places in the Northern Kingdom. Asa followed His ways throughout his reign, 18 and he returned the silver, gold, and utensils which he and his father had dedicated to the house of the True God. 19 Until the 35th year of his reign, the Southern Kingdom did not fight any wars.
Footnotes
2 Chronicles 15
English Standard Version
Asa's Religious Reforms
15 (A)The Spirit of God came[a] upon Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: (B)The Lord is with you while you are with him. (C)If you seek him, he will be found by you, (D)but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 (E)For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law, 4 (F)but when in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace (G)to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. 7 (H)But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, (I)for your work shall be rewarded.”
8 As soon as Asa heard these words, (J)the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from (K)the cities that he had taken in (L)the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord (M)that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord.[b] 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, (N)and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. 10 They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 They sacrificed to the Lord on that day (O)from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep. 12 (P)And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, 13 but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, (Q)should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. 14 They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, (R)and the Lord gave them rest all around.
16 (S)Even Maacah, (T)his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image (U)for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, (V)crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 (W)But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days. 18 And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. 19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 15:1 Or was
- 2 Chronicles 15:8 Hebrew the vestibule of the Lord
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
