2 Chronicles 15

A history of unfaithfulness 2 Chronicles 15:3–7

³Verse 3. Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law. ⁴Verse 4. But when in their distress they turned to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. ⁵Verse 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. ⁶Verse 6. They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity. ⁷Verse 7. But you be strong, and don’t let your hands be slack; for your work will be rewarded.”

Asa's reforms begin 2 Chronicles 15:8–11

⁸Verse 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. ⁹Verse 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. ¹⁰Verse 10. So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.

¹¹Verse 11. They sacrificed to Yahweh in that day, of the plunder which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.

Covenant to seek Yahweh 2 Chronicles 15:12–15

¹²Verse 12. They entered into the covenant to seek Yahweh, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul; ¹³Verse 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. ¹⁴Verse 14. They swore to Yahweh with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with cornets. ¹⁵Verse 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.

Final reforms and peace 2 Chronicles 15:16–19

¹⁶Verse 16. Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen, 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. ¹⁷Verse 17. But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days. ¹⁸Verse 18. He brought the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, gold, and vessels into God’s house. ¹⁹Verse 19. There was no more war to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.