1. God’s Spirit came upon Azariah son of Oded.
2. He met Asa and told him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is with you when you are loyal to him. If you seek him, he will respond to you, but if you reject him, he will reject you.
3. For a long time Israel had no true God, or priest to instruct them, or law.
4. Because of their distress, they turned back to the Lord God of Israel. They sought him and he responded to them.
5. In those days no one could travel safely, for total chaos had overtaken all the people of the surrounding lands.
6. One nation was crushed by another, and one city by another, for God caused them to be in great turmoil.
7. But as for you, be strong and don’t get discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
8. When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged. He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite hill country. He repaired the altar of the Lord in front of the porch of the Lord’s temple.