Asa’s Reform
1The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. 2He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. 4But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. 5In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. 6One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. 7But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
8When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of15:8 Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 1); Hebrew does not have Azariah son of. Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple.
9Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
10They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11At that time they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back. 12They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.
16King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. 18He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
19There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
亞撒的改革
1上帝的靈降在俄德的兒子亞撒利雅身上， 2他便出來迎接亞撒，對他說：「亞撒啊，所有的猶大人和便雅憫人啊，請聽我說！你們若順從耶和華，祂必與你們同在。你們若尋求祂，祂必讓你們尋見。你們若背棄祂，祂必離棄你們。 3以色列人已經許久沒有真神，沒有祭司教導，也沒有律法。 4然而，他們在患難時歸向以色列的上帝耶和華，尋求祂，祂就讓他們尋見。 5那時，人們出入不得平安，因為各地都有動亂。 6邦國毀滅邦國、城邑毀滅城邑，因為上帝用各樣災難擾亂他們。 7但你們要剛強，不要雙手發軟，因為你們必因所行的得獎賞。」
8亞撒聽了俄德的兒子亞撒利雅先知的預言，就鼓起勇氣剷除猶大和便雅憫全境及他在以法蓮山區奪取的各城邑中的可憎神像，並在耶和華殿的走廊前重修耶和華的祭壇。
9當時，有許多以法蓮人、瑪拿西人和西緬人看見亞撒的上帝耶和華與他同在，就從以色列來投奔他，寄居在猶大。亞撒把他們和所有的猶大人與便雅憫人都招聚在一起。 10亞撒執政第十五年三月，他們聚集在耶路撒冷。 11當天，他們從擄物中取出七百頭牛和七千隻羊獻祭給耶和華。 12他們與他們祖先的上帝耶和華立約，要全心全意地尋求祂。 13凡不尋求以色列的上帝耶和華的，無論男女老幼，一律處死。 14他們高聲向耶和華起誓，並吹響號角。 15猶大人都為所起的誓而歡喜快樂，因他們誠心起誓、誠意尋求耶和華，耶和華就讓他們尋見，並賜他們四境平安。
16亞撒王還廢除了他祖母瑪迦的太后之位，因為她造了可憎的亞舍拉神像。亞撒把她可憎的神像砍倒、打碎，放在汲淪溪燒掉。 17他雖然沒有清除以色列的邱壇，但一生忠於耶和華。 18他把自己和父親奉獻的金銀及器皿都帶到上帝的殿裡。
19從那時直到亞撒執政第三十五年，國中都沒有戰爭。
