亞撒的改革

15 上帝的靈降在俄德的兒子亞撒利雅身上, 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。 以色列人已經許久沒有真神,沒有祭司教導,也沒有律法。 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。 那時,人們出入不得平安,因為各地都有動亂。 邦國與邦國、城邑與城邑互相攻擊破壞,因為上帝用各樣的災難擾亂他們。 但你們要剛強,不要雙手發軟,因為你們必因所行的而得獎賞。」

亞撒聽了俄德的兒子亞撒利雅先知的預言,就鼓起勇氣在猶大和便雅憫全境以及他在以法蓮山區奪取的各城邑剷除可憎的神像,並在耶和華殿的走廊前重修耶和華的祭壇。

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給耶和華。 12 他們又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。亞撒將她的神像砍倒、打碎,燒毀在汲淪溪旁。 17 儘管他還沒有把邱壇從以色列除去,但他一生對耶和華忠心。 18 他將他父親和自己奉獻給上帝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。

Asa’s Religious Reforms

15 Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, and 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. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them. But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.

“During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem. But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.”

When Asa heard this message from Azariah the prophet,[a] 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.

Then 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. 10 The people gathered at Jerusalem in late spring,[b] during the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.

11 On that day they sacrificed to the Lord 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep and goats from the plunder they had taken in the battle. 12 Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13 They 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. 14 They shouted out their oath of loyalty to the Lord with trumpets blaring and rams’ horns sounding. 15 All 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.

16 King Asa even deposed his grandmother[c] 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. 17 Although the pagan shrines were not removed from Israel, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful throughout his life. 18 He brought into the Temple of God the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.

19 So there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Footnotes

  1. 15:8 As in Syriac version and Latin Vulgate (see also 15:1); Hebrew reads from Oded the prophet.
  2. 15:10 Hebrew in the third month. This month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar usually occurs within the months of May and June.
  3. 15:16 Hebrew his mother.