15Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded,H7307H430H5838H1121H57522and 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.H3318H6440H609H559H8085H609H3063H1144H3068H1875H4672H5800H58003For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them.H7227H3117H3478H3808H571H430H3384H3548H84514But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.H6862H7725H3068H430H3478H1245H46725"During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land.H6256H7965H3318H935H7227H4103H3427H7766Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem.H1471H3807H1471H5892H5892H430H2000H68697But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded."H2388H3027H7503H6468H3426H79398When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet, 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.H609H8085H1697H5016H5752H5030H2388H5674H8251H776H3063H1144H5892H3920H2022H669H2318H4196H3068H6440H197H30689Then 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.H6908H3063H1144H1481H669H4519H8095H5307H3478H7230H7200H3068H43010The people gathered at Jerusalem in late spring, during the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.H6908H3389H7992H2320H2568H6240H8141H4438H60911On that day they sacrificed to the LORD 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle.H2076H3068H3117H7998H935H7651H3967H1241H7651H505H662912Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul.H935H1285H1875H3068H430H1H3824H531513They 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.H1875H3068H430H3478H4191H4480H6996H1419H376H80214They shouted out their oath of loyalty to the LORD with trumpets blaring and rams' horns sounding.H7650H3068H1419H6963H8643H2689H778215All 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.H3063H8055H7621H7650H3824H1245H7522H4672H3068H5117H543916King Asa even deposed his grandmother 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.H4601H517H609H4428H5493H1377H6213H4656H842H609H3772H4656H1854H8313H5158H693917Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa's heart remained completely faithful throughout his life.H1116H5493H3478H3824H609H8003H311718He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.H935H1004H430H1H6944H6944H3701H2091H362719So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.H4421H2568H7970H8141H4438H609
Dublin, OH
, 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.H609
