| New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, | 1The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. |
| 2and 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. | 2So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Asa and all Judah and Benjamin, hear me. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you. |
| 3For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them. | 3For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without instruction, |
| 4But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him. | 4but when they turned to the LORD God of Israel in their distress and sought Him, He was found by them. |
| 5“During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. | 5In those times there was no peace for those who went about their daily activities because the residents of the lands had many conflicts. |
| 6Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem. | 6Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every possible distress. |
| 7But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” | 7But as for you, be strong; don't be discouraged, for your work has a reward." |
| 8When 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. | 8When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He renovated the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD's temple. |
| 9Then 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. | 9Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, as well as those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, for they had defected to him from Israel in great numbers when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him. |
| 10The people gathered at Jerusalem in late spring, during the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. | 10They were gathered in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. |
| 11On that day they sacrificed to the LORD 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle. | 11At that time they sacrificed to the LORD 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep from all the plunder they had brought. |
| 12Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. | 12Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their ancestors with all their mind and all their heart. |
| 13They 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. | 13Whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel would be put to death, young or old, man or woman. |
| 14They shouted out their oath of loyalty to the LORD with trumpets blaring and rams’ horns sounding. | 14They took an oath to the LORD in a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with rams' horns. |
| 15All 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. | 15All Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their mind. They had sought Him with all their heart, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. |
| 16King 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. | 16King Asa also removed Maacah, his grandmother, from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image, then crushed it and burned it in the Kidron Valley. |
| 17Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful throughout his life. | 17The high places were not taken away from Israel; nevertheless, Asa was wholehearted his entire life. |
| 18He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated. | 18He brought his father's consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into God's temple: silver, gold, and utensils. |
| 19So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign. | 19There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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