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.
亚撒的改革
1上帝的灵降在俄德的儿子亚撒利雅身上， 2他便出来迎接亚撒，对他说：“亚撒啊，所有的犹大人和便雅悯人啊，请听我说！你们若顺从耶和华，祂必与你们同在。你们若寻求祂，祂必让你们寻见。你们若背弃祂，祂必离弃你们。 3以色列人已经许久没有真神，没有祭司教导，也没有律法。 4然而，他们在患难时归向以色列的上帝耶和华，寻求祂，祂就让他们寻见。 5那时，人们出入不得平安，因为各地都有动乱。 6邦国毁灭邦国、城邑毁灭城邑，因为上帝用各样灾难扰乱他们。 7但你们要刚强，不要双手发软，因为你们必因所行的得奖赏。”
8亚撒听了俄德的儿子亚撒利雅先知的预言，就鼓起勇气铲除犹大和便雅悯全境及他在以法莲山区夺取的各城邑中的可憎神像，并在耶和华殿的走廊前重修耶和华的祭坛。
9当时，有许多以法莲人、玛拿西人和西缅人看见亚撒的上帝耶和华与他同在，就从以色列来投奔他，寄居在犹大。亚撒把他们和所有的犹大人与便雅悯人都招聚在一起。 10亚撒执政第十五年三月，他们聚集在耶路撒冷。 11当天，他们从掳物中取出七百头牛和七千只羊献祭给耶和华。 12他们与他们祖先的上帝耶和华立约，要全心全意地寻求祂。 13凡不寻求以色列的上帝耶和华的，无论男女老幼，一律处死。 14他们高声向耶和华起誓，并吹响号角。 15犹大人都为所起的誓而欢喜快乐，因他们诚心起誓、诚意寻求耶和华，耶和华就让他们寻见，并赐他们四境平安。
16亚撒王还废除了他祖母玛迦的太后之位，因为她造了可憎的亚舍拉神像。亚撒把她可憎的神像砍倒、打碎，放在汲沦溪烧掉。 17他虽然没有清除以色列的丘坛，但一生忠于耶和华。 18他把自己和父亲奉献的金银及器皿都带到上帝的殿里。
19从那时直到亚撒执政第三十五年，国中都没有战争。
