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2 Chronicles 15
Expanded Bible
2 Chronicles 15
Expanded Bible
Asa’s Changes
15 The Spirit of God ·entered [came upon] Azariah son of Oded. 2 Azariah went to meet Asa and said, “Listen to me, Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord ·is [will be] with you when you are with him. If you ·obey [seek] him, you will find him, but if you ·leave [abandon; forsake] him, he will ·leave [abandon; forsake] you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God and without a priest to ·teach [instruct] them and without the ·teachings [instructions; laws]. 4 But ·when they were in trouble [in their distress], they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel. They ·looked for [sought] him and found him. 5 In those days no one could travel safely. There was ·much trouble [turmoil; total chaos] in ·all the nations [every land]. 6 One nation would ·destroy [crush] another nation, and one city would ·destroy [crush] another city, because God ·troubled [confused] them with all kinds of distress. 7 But you should be strong. Don’t ·give up [be discouraged], because you will be rewarded for your good work.”
8 Asa ·felt brave [was encouraged] when he heard these words and the ·message [prophecy] from Azariah son of Oded the prophet. So he removed the ·hateful [detestable; abominable] idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He ·repaired [restored] the Lord’s altar that was in front of the ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room] of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.
9 Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and Benjamin and from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living in Judah. Many people ·came [defected; deserted] to Asa even from Israel, ·because [when] they saw that the Lord, Asa’s God, was with him.
10 Asa and these people ·gathered [assembled] in Jerusalem in the third month [C late spring] of the fifteenth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign]. 11 ·At that time [L On that day] they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred ·bulls [oxen] and seven thousand sheep and goats from the ·valuable things Asa’s army had taken from their enemies [plunder/spoil they had brought back]. 12 Then they made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] to ·obey [seek] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], with their whole ·being [L heart and soul]. 13 Anyone who refused to ·obey [seek] the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be ·killed [executed; put to death]. It did not matter if that person was ·important [great] or ·unimportant [small], a man or woman. 14 Then Asa and the people ·made a promise before [swore allegiance/an oath/a vow to] the Lord, shouting with a loud voice and blowing trumpets and sheep’s horns. 15 All the people of Judah ·were happy about [rejoiced over] the ·promise [vow; oath], because they had ·promised [vowed; sworn] with all their heart. They ·looked for [earnestly sought] God and found him. So the Lord gave them ·peace [rest] ·in all the country [on every side].
The Removal of Maacah(A)
16 King Asa also removed Maacah, his ·grandmother [L mother], from being queen mother, because she had made a ·terrible [obscene; repulsive; loathsome; abominable] Asherah ·idol [pole; 14:3]. Asa cut down that idol, ·smashed it into pieces, [and crushed] and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17 But the ·places of worship to gods [L high places; 11:15] were not removed from ·Judah [L Israel; 12:6]. Even so, Asa was ·faithful [wholeheartedly loyal/devoted] all his life.
18 Asa brought into the ·Temple [L house] of God the ·gifts [dedicated/holy things] he and his father had given: silver, gold, and ·utensils [articles].
19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign].
2 Chronicles 15
New International Version
2 Chronicles 15
New International Version
Asa’s Reform(A)
15 The Spirit of God came on(B) Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you(C) when you are with him.(D) If you seek(E) him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.(F) 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach(G) and without the law.(H) 4 But in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him,(I) and he was found by them. 5 In those days it was not safe to travel about,(J) for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. 6 One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another,(K) because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. 7 But as for you, be strong(L) and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”(M)
8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of[a] Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols(N) from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured(O) in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar(P) of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple.
9 Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers(Q) had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
10 They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month(R) of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the Lord seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder(S) they had brought back. 12 They entered into a covenant(T) to seek the Lord,(U) the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, were to be put to death,(V) whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the Lord with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God(W) eagerly, and he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest(X) on every side.
16 King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah(Y) from her position as queen mother,(Z) because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah.(AA) Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley.(AB) 17 Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. 18 He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.(AC)
19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 15:8 Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint and verse 1); Hebrew does not have Azariah son of.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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