1 Veio o espírito de Deus sobre Azarias, filho de Obede,

2 que saiu ao encontro de Asa e lhe disse: Ouve-me, Asa e todo o Judá e Benjamim: Jeová está convosco, enquanto estais com ele; se o buscardes, achá-lo-eis; mas se o deixardes, ele vos deixará.

3 Ora, por muito tempo Israel tem estado sem o verdadeiro Deus, e sem sacerdote que o ensine, e sem lei;

4 quando, porém, na sua angústia voltaram para Jeová, Deus de Israel, e o buscaram, deles foi achado.

5 Naqueles tempos não havia paz nem para os que saíam nem para os que entravam, mas grandes perturbações estavam sobre todos os habitantes das terras.

6 Pois nação contra nação e cidade contra cidade se despedaçavam, porque Deus os conturbou com toda a advertência.

7 Vós, porém, esforçai-vos e não sejam remissas as vossas mãos; porque a vossa obra será recompensada.

8 Tendo Asa ouvido estas palavras, e a profecia do profeta Obede, cobrou ânimo e lançou as abominações fora de toda a terra de Judá e Benjamim e das cidades que tomara da região montanhosa de Efraim; e renovou o altar de Jeová, que estava diante do pórtico de Jeová.

9 Congregou todo o Judá e Benjamim, e os que peregrinavam no meio deles, de Efraim, de Manassés e de Simeão: e de Israel muitos se aliaram com ele, vendo que Jeová seu Deus era com ele.

10 Ajuntaram-se em Jerusalém ao terceiro mês, ao décimo quinto ano do reinado de Asa.

11 Naquele dia ofereceram em sacrifício a Jeová, do despojo que tinham trazido, setecentos bois e sete mil ovelhas.

12 Entraram numa aliança para buscarem a Jeová, Deus de seus pais, com todo o seu coração e com toda a sua alma;

13 e para que fosse morto todo aquele que não buscasse a Jeová, Deus de Israel, pequeno ou grande, homem ou mulher.

14 Prestaram juramento a Jeová em alta voz, e com júbilo, e com trombetas e com buzinas.

15 Todo o Judá se alegrou deste juramento; porque de todo o seu coração juraram, e com toda a sua vontade o buscaram; e deles foi achado. Jeová deu-lhes descanso ao redor.

16 Também a Maaca, mãe do rei Asa, ele tirou a dignidade de rainha, porque ela fizera para Aserá uma imagem abominável; e Asa cortou-lhe a imagem, que, feita em pó, queimou junto à torrente de Cedrom.

17 Os altos, porém, não se tiraram de Israel; contudo o coração de Asa foi perfeito todos os seus dias.

18 Trouxe para a casa de Deus as coisas que seu pai tinha dedicado, e as que ele mesmo tinha dedicado, a saber, prata, ouro e vasos.

19 Não houve guerra mais até o trigésimo quinto ano do reinado de Asa.

1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa, and said to him, "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! Yahweh is with you while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. 4 But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. 5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity. 7 But you be strong! Don’t let your hands be slack, for your work will be rewarded."

8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed Yahweh’s altar that was before Yahweh’s porch. 9 He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon; for they came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that Yahweh his God was with him. 10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day, of the plunder which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep. 12 They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 and that whoever would not seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with cornets. 15 All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found by them. Then Yahweh gave them rest all around.

16 Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; so Asa cut down her image, ground it into dust, and burned it at the brook Kidron. 17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days. 18 He brought the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated, silver, gold, and vessels into God’s house. 19 There was no more war to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.