The Spirit of God Comes on Azariah

1Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2and he went out [†]to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Yahweh is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will be found; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3Now for many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. 4But in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and they searched for Him, and He was found by them. 5Now in those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for much confusion was upon all the inhabitants of the lands. 6And nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God threw them into confusion with every kind of distress. 7But you, be strong and do not let your hands fall limp, for there is reward for your work.”

Asa Takes Away Detestable Idols

8Now when Asa heard these words and the [†]prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he strengthened himself and took away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then renewed the altar of Yahweh which was in front of the porch of Yahweh. 9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who sojourned with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him. 10So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11And they sacrificed to Yahweh that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; 13and whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14Moreover, they swore an oath to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. 15All Judah was glad concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had searched for Him with all their desire, and He was found by them. So Yahweh gave them rest on every side.

16He also removed Maacah, the mother of King Asa, from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image [†]as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image, crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17But the high places were not [†]removed from Israel; nevertheless Asa’s heart was wholly devoted all his days. 18And he brought into the house of God the holy things of his father and his own holy things: silver and gold and utensils. 19And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.