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The Reign of Asa in Judah
14 [a] And Abijah slept with his ancestors,[b] and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son became king in his place. In his days the land was at rest ten years. 2 Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God. 3 He removed the foreign altars and high places, broke down the stone pillars, and cut down the Asherahs. 4 And he commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,[c] and to keep the law and the commandment. 5 And he removed the high places and the incense stands from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom had rest under[d] him. 6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was at rest. Under[e] him there was no war in those years, for Yahweh had given rest to him. 7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls, towers, gates, and bars while the land is before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God. We have sought and he has given rest to us on every side.” So they built and had success. 8 And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah, bearing shields and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin who carried shields and drew bows. All of these were mighty warriors of strength.
9 Zerah the Cushite came out against them with an army of a thousand thousands and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah. 10 And Asa went out before him, and a battle was put in order in the valley of Zepah at Mareshah.
11 Then Asa cried out to Yahweh his God. And he said, “O Yahweh, there is none with you to help between the great and the powerless. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for we rely upon you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, you are our God! Let no man prevail against you!”
12 So Yahweh defeated the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled. 13 Then Asa and the army[f] with him pursued them to Gerar. And many from the Cushites fell, for they had no deliverance, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before his army. And they carried away much war booty. 14 And they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of Yahweh was upon them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. 15 And they also struck the tents of the herdsmen and carried away many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.
Asa’s Religious Reforms
15 Now Azariah the son of Oded—the Spirit of God came upon him. 2 And he went out before Asa and said to him, “Hear me, O Asa and all of Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you while you are with him. And if you will seek him he will be found by you. But if you forsake him he will forsake you. 3 Now Israel has been without the true God many days, and without a teaching priest, and without law, 4 but at its trouble he returned to Yahweh, the God of Israel. They sought him, and he was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace for the one going out and the one coming in, for great tumults were upon all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 Nation was crushed by nation, and city was against city, for God threw them into confusion by all sorts of trouble. 7 But as for you, be strong and let not your hands be weak, for there is reward for your labor.”
8 And when Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the vile idols from all the lands of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of Yahweh that was in front of the portico of Yahweh.
9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those sojourning with them, from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for many had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him. 10 And they were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 And they sacrificed to Yahweh on that day from the war booty they brought back: seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. 12 And they entered into a covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors,[g] with all their heart and with all their inmost being,[h] 13 but all who will not seek Yahweh the God of Israel should be killed, from young to old, from men to women. 14 And they took an oath to Yahweh with a great voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they swore with all their heart. And they sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and Yahweh gave rest to them all around.
16 And also Maacah, the mother of Asa, the king removed her from being queen, because she had made a repulsive image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her repulsive image, and he crushed and burned it at the Wadi[i] Kidron. 17 But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was fully devoted all his days. 18 And he brought the holy objects of his father and his own holy objects into the house of God—silver and gold and vessels. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
The End of Asa’s Reign
16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha the king of Israel went up against Judah. And he built Ramah in order not to allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa, king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the storehouses of the house of Yahweh and the house of the king, and he sent them to Ben-Hadad, king of Aram,[j] who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Look, I am sending you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha, king of Israel, that he might withdraw from me.”
4 And Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent commanders of his troops that were with him against the cities of Israel. And they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel-Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 5 And it happened that when Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. 6 Then King Asa took all of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and he built Geba and Mizpah with them.
7 And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “On account of your reliance upon the king of Aram,[k] and since you did not rely on Yahweh your God, therefore the troops of the king of Aram[l] escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with very abundant chariots and horsemen? And because of your reliance on Yahweh he gave them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout all the earth to strengthen those whose heart is fully devoted to him. You have been foolish in this, for from now on you will have wars.”
10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the prison,[m] for he was enraged with him concerning this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.
11 Now behold, the words of Asa from the first to the last, behold, they are written in the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, he fell severely[n] ill in his feet. But even in his illness he did not seek Yahweh, but only among the healers. 13 And Asa slept with his ancestors.[o] And he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 And they buried him in his burial site, which had been cut out for him in the city of David. And they laid him on the bier which they had filled with all kinds of spices made by the perfumers as a fragment ointment. And they made a great fire in his honor.
Israel’s Rejection
9 I am telling the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit— 2 that my grief is great and there is constant distress in my heart. 3 For I could wish myself to be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my fellow countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the temple service, and the promises, 5 to whom belong the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ according to human descent, who is God over all, blessed forever[a]! Amen.
6 But it is not as if the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are descendants of Abraham, but “In Isaac will your descendants be named.”[b] 8 That is, it is not the children by human descent[c] who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. 9 For the statement of the promise is this: “At this time I will return and Sarah will have[d] a son.”[e] 10 And not only this, but also when[f] Rebecca conceived children by one man,[g] Isaac our father— 11 for although they[h] had not yet been born, or done anything good or evil, in order that the purpose of God according to election might remain, 12 not by works but by the one who calls—it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,”[i] 13 just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[j]
God’s Sovereign Choice to Show Mercy
14 What then shall we say? There is no injustice with God, is there?[k] May it never be! 15 For to Moses he says, “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion.”[l] 16 Consequently therefore, it does not depend on the[m] one who wills or on the one who runs, but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very reason I have raised you up, so that I may demonstrate my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[n] 18 Consequently therefore, he has mercy on whomever he wishes, and he hardens whomever he wishes.
19 Therefore you will say to me, “Why then does he still find fault? For who has resisted[o] his will? 20 On the contrary, O man, who are you who answers back to God? Will what is molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this”?[p] 21 Or does the potter not have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump a vessel that is for honorable use[q] and one that is for ordinary use[r]? 22 And what if God, wanting to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And he did so[s] in order that he could make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory, 24 us whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
Yahweh’s Creation and Law
For the music director. A psalm of David.[a]
19 The heavens are telling the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.
2 Every day[b] they pour forth speech,
and every night[c] they tell knowledge.
3 There is no speech and there are no words;
their sound is inaudible.
4 Yet in all the world their line[d] goes out,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them[e] he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 and it is like a bridegroom
who comes out of his bridal chamber.
It is glad like a strong man
to run its course.
6 Its rising is from one[f] end of the heavens
and its circuit to the other end[g] of them;
and nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life.[h]
The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of Yahweh are right, making the heart rejoice.
The command of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of Yahweh is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether,
10 more desirable than gold, even much fine gold;
and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb.
11 Moreover, your servant is warned[i] by them;
in keeping them is great reward.
12 Who can perceive his errors?
Acquit me from hidden faults.
13 Also, keep back your servant from arrogant sins;[j]
let them not rule over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
O Yahweh, my rock and my redeemer.
20 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and any who go astray by it are not wise.
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