1. The Spirit of God came on Azariah, who was Obed’s son.
2. Azariah went to meet Asa and said, “Listen to me, Asa and all you people of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you look for him, you will find him. But if you leave him, he will leave you.
3. For a long time Israel was without the true God. And they were without a teaching priest, and without the law.
4. But when the Israelites had trouble, they turned again to the Lord, the God of Israel. They looked for him and found him.
5. In those times of trouble, no one could travel safely. There was great trouble in all the nations.
6. One nation would destroy another nation and one city would destroy another city. This was happening because God gave them all kinds of trouble.
7. But Asa, you and the people of Judah and Benjamin, be strong. Don’t be weak and don’t give up, because you will get a reward for your good work!”
8. Asa felt encouraged when he heard these words and the message from Obed the prophet. Then he removed the hated idols from the whole area of Judah and Benjamin. He also removed the hated idols from the towns he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. And he repaired the Lord’S altar that was in front of the porch of the Lord’S Temple.
9. Then Asa gathered all the people from Judah and Benjamin and the people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had moved from the country of Israel to live in the country of Judah. A great many of these people came to Judah because they saw that the Lord, Asa’s God, was with him.
10. Asa and these people gathered together in Jerusalem on the third month in the 15th year of Asa’s rule.