11. At that time they sacrificed 700 bulls and 7000 sheep and goats to the Lord. Asa’s army had taken the animals and other valuable things from their enemies.
12. Then they made an agreement to serve the Lord God with all their heart and with all their soul. He is the God their ancestors served.
13. Anyone who refused to serve the Lord God was to be killed. It did not matter if that person was important or not or if that person was a man or woman.
14. Then Asa and the people made an oath to the Lord. They shouted it out loudly and blew their trumpets and rams’ horns.
15. All the people of Judah were happy about the oath, because they had promised with all their heart. They followed God with all their heart. They looked for God and found him, so the Lord gave them peace in all the country.
16. King Asa also removed Maacah, his mother, from being queen mother. He did this because she had set up one of those awful poles to honor the goddess Asherah. Asa cut down that Asherah pole, smashed it into small pieces, and burned the pieces in the Kidron Valley.
17. Asa did not destroy the high places, even though he was faithful to God all his life.
18. Asa and his father had given some special gifts to God. Asa put these gifts of gold, silver, and other things into the Temple.
19. There was no more war until the 35th year of Asa’s rule.