The Reforms of Asa

1And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

2And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear you^p me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you^p, while you^p be with Him; and if you^p seek Him, He will be found of you^p; but if you^p forsake Him, He will forsake you^p.   JAMES 4:8

3Now for a long season Israel has been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

4But when they in their trouble did turn to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found of them.

5And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.   troubles

6And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.   LUKE 21:10 | trouble

7Be you^p strong therefore, and let not your^p hands be weak: for your^p work shall be rewarded.   do not lose courage

8And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.   detestable; restored

9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.   defected

10So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

11And they offered to the Lord the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.   that day; plunder

12And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;   agreement

13That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

14And they swore to the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

15And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought Him with their whole desire; and He was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.

16And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.   grandmother; for Asherah; crushed

17But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.   shrines

18And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.   temple

19And there was no more war to the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.