1. Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded,
2. and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.
3. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach them, and without the Law to instruct them.
4. But whenever they were in trouble and turned to the lord, the God of Israel, and sought him out, they found him.
5. “During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land.
6. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, for God was troubling them with every kind of problem.