The Prophecy of Azariah

1  וַעֲזַרְיָ֙הוּ֙ (And Azariah) בֶּן־ (son) עוֹדֵ֔ד (of Oded)— הָיְתָ֥ה (came) עָלָ֖יו (upon him) ר֥וּחַ (the Spirit) אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (of God). 2  וַיֵּצֵא֮ (And he went out) לִפְנֵ֣י (to meet) אָסָא֒ (Asa) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (and said) ל֔וֹ (to him), שְׁמָע֕וּנִי (Hear me) אָסָ֖א (Asa), וְכָל־ (and all) יְהוּדָ֣ה (Judah) וּבִנְיָמִ֑ן (and Benjamin). יְהוָ֤ה (YHWH is) עִמָּכֶם֙ (with you⁺) בִּֽהְיֽוֹתְכֶ֣ם (in your⁺ being) עִמּ֔וֹ (with Him), וְאִֽם־ (and if) תִּדְרְשֻׁ֙הוּ֙ (you⁺ seek Him) יִמָּצֵ֣א (He will be found) לָכֶ֔ם (by you⁺), וְאִם־ (but if) תַּעַזְבֻ֖הוּ (you⁺ forsake Him) יַעֲזֹ֥ב (He will forsake) אֶתְכֶֽם׃ס (you⁺). 3  וְיָמִ֥ים (And days) רַבִּ֖ים (many) לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (were to Israel) לְלֹ֣א׀ (without) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (the God) אֱמֶ֗ת (true), וּלְלֹ֛א (and without) כֹּהֵ֥ן (a priest) מוֹרֶ֖ה (teaching), וּלְלֹ֥א (and without) תוֹרָֽה׃ (law). 4  וַיָּ֙שָׁב֙ (And they turned) בַּצַּר־ (in distress) ל֔וֹ (their) עַל־ (to) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (of Israel), וַיְבַקְשֻׁ֖הוּ (and they sought Him), וַיִּמָּצֵ֥א (and He was found) לָהֶֽם׃ (by them). 5  וּבָעִתִּ֣ים (And in times) הָהֵ֔ם (those) אֵ֥ין (not) שָׁל֖וֹם (there was peace) לַיּוֹצֵ֣א (for one going out), וְלַבָּ֑א (and for one coming in), כִּ֚י (but) מְהוּמֹ֣ת (turmoil was) רַבּ֔וֹת (great) עַ֥ל (upon) כָּל־ (all) יוֹשְׁבֵ֖י (the dwellers) הָאֲרָצֽוֹת׃ (of the lands). 6  וְכֻתְּת֥וּ (And they were beaten down) גוֹי־ (nation) בְּג֖וֹי (by nation) וְעִ֣יר (and city) בְּעִ֑יר (by city), כִּֽי־ (for) אֱלֹהִ֥ים (God) הֲמָמָ֖ם (troubled them) בְּכָל־ (with every) צָרָֽה׃ (distress). 7  וְאַתֶּ֣ם (And you⁺) חִזְק֔וּ (be strong) וְאַל־ (and not) יִרְפּ֖וּ (let be feeble) יְדֵיכֶ֑ם (your⁺ hands), כִּ֛י (for) יֵ֥שׁ (there is) שָׂכָ֖ר (reward) לִפְעֻלַּתְכֶֽם׃ס (for your⁺ work).

Asa’s Reforms
(1 Kings 15:9–15)

8  וְכִשְׁמֹ֨עַ (And hearing) אָסָ֜א (Asa) הַדְּבָרִ֣ים (the words) הָאֵ֗לֶּה (these) וְהַנְּבוּאָה֮ (and the prophecy) עֹדֵ֣ד (of Oded) הַנָּבִיא֒ (the prophet), הִתְחַזַּ֗ק (he strengthened himself) וַיַּעֲבֵ֤ר (and removed) הַשִּׁקּוּצִים֙ (the abominations) מִכָּל־ (from all) אֶ֤רֶץ (the land) יְהוּדָה֙ (of Judah) וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן (and Benjamin) וּמִן־ (and from) הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים (the cities) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (that) לָכַ֖ד (he had taken) מֵהַ֣ר (in the hill country) אֶפְרָ֑יִם (of Ephraim), וַיְחַדֵּשׁ֙ (and he restored) אֶת־ (-) מִזְבַּ֣ח (the altar) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH) אֲשֶׁ֕ר (that was) לִפְנֵ֖י (before the face of) אוּלָ֥ם (the portico) יְהוָֽה׃ (of YHWH). 9  וַיִּקְבֹּ֗ץ (And he gathered) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) יְהוּדָה֙ (Judah) וּבִנְיָמִ֔ן (and Benjamin), וְהַגָּרִים֙ (and those who dwelt) עִמָּהֶ֔ם (with them) מֵאֶפְרַ֥יִם (from Ephraim) וּמְנַשֶּׁ֖ה (and Manasseh) וּמִשִּׁמְע֑וֹן (and Simeon), כִּֽי־ (for) נָפְל֨וּ (they fell) עָלָ֤יו (on him) מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל֙ (from Israel) לָרֹ֔ב (in great numbers) בִּרְאֹתָ֕ם (when they saw) כִּֽי־ (that) יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH) אֱלֹהָ֖יו (his God was) עִמּֽוֹ׃פ (with him).

10  וַיִּקָּבְצ֥וּ (And they gathered together) יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (at Jerusalem) בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ (in the month) הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י (third) לִשְׁנַ֥ת (in the year) חֲמֵשׁ־ (of five) עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה (and tenth) לְמַלְכ֥וּת (of the reign) אָסָֽא׃ (Asa). 11  וַיִּזְבְּח֤וּ (And they offered) לַיהוָה֙ (to YHWH) בַּיּ֣וֹם (at the time) הַה֔וּא (that) מִן־ (from) הַשָּׁלָ֖ל (the plunder) הֵבִ֑יאוּ (they had brought)— בָּקָר֙ (oxen) שְׁבַ֣ע (seven) מֵא֔וֹת (hundred) וְצֹ֖אן (and sheep) שִׁבְעַ֥ת (seven) אֲלָפִֽים׃ (thousand). 12  וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (And they entered) בַבְּרִ֔ית (into a covenant) לִדְר֕וֹשׁ (to seek) אֶת־ (-) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (God) אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם (of their fathers) בְּכָל־ (with all) לְבָבָ֖ם (their heart) וּבְכָל־ (and with all) נַפְשָֽׁם׃ (their soul). 13  וְכֹ֨ל (And) אֲשֶׁ֧ר (whoever) לֹֽא־ (not) יִדְרֹ֛שׁ (would seek) לַיהוָ֥ה (YHWH) אֱלֹהֵֽי־ (God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (of Israel) יוּמָ֑ת (was to be put to death), לְמִן־ (from) קָטֹן֙ (small) וְעַד־ (and to) גָּד֔וֹל (great), לְמֵאִ֖ישׁ (from man) וְעַד־ (and to) אִשָּֽׁה׃ (woman). 14  וַיִּשָּֽׁבְעוּ֙ (And they took an oath) לַיהוָ֔ה (to YHWH) בְּק֥וֹל (with a voice) גָּד֖וֹל (loud), וּבִתְרוּעָ֑ה (and with shouting) וּבַחֲצֹצְר֖וֹת (and trumpets) וּבְשׁוֹפָרֽוֹת׃ (and shofars). 15  וַיִּשְׂמְח֨וּ (And rejoiced) כָל־ (all) יְהוּדָ֜ה (Judah) עַל־ (at) הַשְּׁבוּעָ֗ה (the oath), כִּ֤י (for) בְכָל־ (with all) לְבָבָם֙ (their heart) נִשְׁבָּ֔עוּ (they had sworn). וּבְכָל־ (And with all) רְצוֹנָ֣ם (their soul) בִּקְשֻׁ֔הוּ (they had sought Him), וַיִּמָּצֵ֖א (and He was found) לָהֶ֑ם (by them), וַיָּ֧נַח (and gave rest) יְהוָ֛ה (YHWH) לָהֶ֖ם (to them) מִסָּבִֽיב׃ (all around).

16  וְגַֽם־ (And) מַעֲכָ֞ה (Maacah) אֵ֣ם׀ (mother) אָסָ֣א (of Asa) הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ (the king)— הֱסִירָהּ֙ (he removed her) מִגְּבִירָ֔ה (as queen mother) אֲשֶׁר־ (because) עָשְׂתָ֥ה (she had made) לַאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה (to Asherah) מִפְלָ֑צֶת (a detestable thing). וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת (And cut down) אָסָא֙ (Asa) אֶת־ (-) מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ (her detestable thing), וַיָּ֕דֶק (and he crushed it) וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף (and burned it) בְּנַ֥חַל (in the Valley) קִדְרֽוֹן׃ (Kidron). 17  וְהַ֨בָּמ֔וֹת (And the high places) לֹא־ (not) סָ֖רוּ (were removed) מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (from Israel); רַ֧ק (nevertheless) לְבַב־ (the heart) אָסָ֛א (of Asa) הָיָ֥ה (was) שָׁלֵ֖ם (perfect) כָּל־ (all) יָמָֽיו׃ (his days). 18  וַיָּבֵ֞א (And he brought) אֶת־ (-) קָדְשֵׁ֥י (the holy things) אָבִ֛יו (of his father) וְקָֽדָשָׁ֖יו (and his holy things) בֵּ֣ית (into the house) הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (of God): כֶּ֥סֶף (Silver) וְזָהָ֖ב (and gold) וְכֵלִֽים׃ (and vessels).

19  וּמִלְחָמָ֖ה (And war) לֹ֣א (not) הָיָ֑תָה (there was) עַ֛ד (until) שְׁנַת־ (the year) שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים (thirty) וְחָמֵ֖שׁ (and fifth) לְמַלְכ֥וּת (of the reign) אָסָֽא׃ס (of Asa).