2 Chronicles 15

And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:

God's Spirit powerfully embraced Azariah, Oded's son.

And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

He approached Asa, saying, "Listen closely, Asa, and all of Judah and Benjamin. God is with you when you're with Him. If you look for Him, you'll find Him. But if you abandon Him, He'll leave you."

Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

For a considerable time, Israel has been lost, lacking the guidance of the true God, the wisdom of a teaching priest, and the structure of the law.

But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.

When they were in distress and turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, seeking His presence, they indeed found Him.

And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

During that era, no one found peace, whether they were leaving or arriving. Everyone living in those lands was burdened with immense distress.

And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.

Nations crumbled before other nations, cities fell to ruin: for God troubled them with every kind of hardship.

Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.

Stay courageous and don't let your determination waver, for your efforts will surely be recognized and rewarded.

And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.

Upon hearing Oded's prophecy, Asa felt a surge of bravery. He removed all the detestable idols from Judah, Benjamin, and the cities he'd conquered from Mount Ephraim. He then restored the Lord's altar, which stood before the Lord's porch.

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

He rallied everyone from Judah and Benjamin, along with the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them. Many from Israel had come over to him, moved by the clear presence of God in his life.

So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

In the heart of Jerusalem, during the third month of Asa's fifteenth year as king, they united.

And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

In a heartfelt act of devotion, they presented to the LORD, from the bounty they had gathered, a generous offering of seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

They made a heartfelt promise to pursue the Lord God of their ancestors with every ounce of their being and every beat of their heart.

That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

Anyone who would not seek the Lord God of Israel, young or old, man or woman, was to be put to death.

And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

With passionate voices and joyful shouts, they made a heartfelt promise to the Lord, their commitment echoed by the resounding trumpets and cornets.

And 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 of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.

The people of Judah celebrated their pledge, for they had promised sincerely, seeking God with all their passion. They found Him, and God blessed them with peace in all directions.

And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.

King Asa, deeply hurt and disappointed, stripped his own mother, Maachah, of her queenly title. Her sin? She had crafted an idol, a false god, in a sacred grove. Overwhelmed with sorrow and anger, Asa destroyed this idol, crushing it underfoot and setting it ablaze by the Kidron stream.

But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

Though Israel still held onto their high places, Asa's heart remained pure and steadfast throughout his life.

And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.

With a heart full of reverence, he carried into God's sanctuary the precious items his father had devoted, along with his own offerings - gleaming silver, radiant gold, and sacred vessels.

And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

There was no more war until the 35th year of King Asa's rule.