וַעֲזַרְיָהוּ בֶּן־עוֹדֵד הָיְתָה עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים

The spirit of God was upon Azarya son of Oded; he received a prophecy.

וַיֵּצֵא לִפְנֵי אָסָא וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שְׁמָעוּנִי אָסָא וְכָל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן ה' עִמָּכֶם בִּהְיוֹתְכֶם עִמּוֹ וְאִם־תִּדְרְשֻׁהוּ יִמָּצֵא לָכֶם וְאִם־תַּעַזְבֻהוּ יַעֲזֹב אֶתְכֶם

He came out before Asa and said to him: Hear me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you when you are with Him, and if you seek Him, He will be found for you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

וְיָמִים רַבִּים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי אֱמֶת וּלְלֹא כֹּהֵן מוֹרֶה וּלְלֹא תוֹרָה

The prophet continued: For many days Israel was without the true God, as they worshipped idols, and without a teaching priest, and without Torah.

וַיָּשָׁב בַּצַּר־לוֹ עַל ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְבַקְשֻׁהוּ וַיִּמָּצֵא לָהֶם

They, the Israelites, returned to the Lord, God of Israel, in their distress, and sought Him, and He was found for them; He responded to them.

וּבָעִתִּים הָהֵם אֵין שָׁלוֹם לַיּוֹצֵא וְלַבָּא כִּי מְהוּמוֹת רַבּוֹת עַל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת

At those times, when Israel acted improperly, there was no peace for those going from their place, and coming back, for great tumults were upon all the inhabitants of the lands, in all the settled areas of Israel.

וְכֻתְּתוּ גוֹי בּגוֹי וְעִיר בְּעִיר כִּי־אֱלֹהִים הֲמָמָם בְּכָל־צָרָה

Nation, tribe or family, was beaten by nation, and city by city, as there were internal quarrels between different sectors of the people; for God confounded them [hamamam] with every kind of distress. He afflicted them with various forms of tumult [mehuma] and panic.

וְאַתֶּם חִזְקוּ וְאַל־יִרְפּוּ יְדֵיכֶם כִּי יֵשׁ שָׂכָר לִפְעֻלַּתְכֶם

And you, be strong, and let your hands not slacken; do not despair or weaken, as there is reward for your actions. Since you are following the good and upright path, you will ultimately be rewarded.

וְכִשְׁמֹעַ אָסָא הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וְהַנְּבוּאָה עֹדֵד הַנָּבִיא הִתְחַזַּק וַיַּעֲבֵר הַשִּׁקּוּצִים מִכָּל־אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וּמִן־הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לָכַד מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם וַיְחַדֵּשׁ אֶת־מִזְבַּח ה' אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי אוּלָם ה'

When Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of the son of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged, and removed the detestable things, the idols, from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin, and from the cities that he had captured in the highlands of Ephraim; he restored the altar of the Lord, which was before the Hall of the Lord.

וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן וְהַגָּרִים עִמָּהֶם מֵאֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה וּמִשִּׁמְעוֹן כִּי־נָפְלוּ עָלָיו מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לָרֹב בִּרְאֹתָם כִּי־ה' אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ

He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who resided with them from Ephraim and Manasseh, and from Simeon, as many from Israel had joined him, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him. Up to this point, only members of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi resided in the Kingdom of Judah. Now they were joined by men from other tribes, as people are generally drawn to affiliate with the strong and successful.

וַיִּקָּבְצוּ יְרוּשָׁלִַם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִשִׁי לִשְׁנַת חֲמֵשׁ־עֶשְׂרֵה לְמַלְכוּת אָסָא

They gathered to Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

וַיִּזְבְּחוּ לַה' בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מִן־הַשָּׁלָל הֵבִיאוּ בָּקָר שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת וְצֹאן שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים

They slaughtered to the Lord on that day from the spoils they had brought, seven hundred cattle and seven thousand sheep.

וַיָּבֹאוּ בַבְּרִית לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם בְּכָל־לְבָבָם וּבְכָל־נַפְשָׁם

They entered into the covenant to seek the Lord, God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul,

וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִדְרֹשׁ לַה' אֱלֹהֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל יוּמָת לְמִן־קָטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל לְמֵאִישׁ וְעַד־אִשָּׁה

and part of the renewed covenant which they accepted upon themselves was that anyone who would not seek the Lord, God of Israel, would be put to death, both small and great, both man and woman.

וַיִּשָּׁבְעוּ לַה' בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל וּבִתְרוּעָה וּבַחֲצֹצְרוֹת וּבְשׁוֹפָרוֹת

They took an oath to the Lord in loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with shofars.

וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כָל־יְהוּדָה עַל־הַשְּׁבוּעָה כִּי בְכָל־לְבָבָם נִשְׁבָּעוּ וּבְכָל־רְצוֹנָם בִּקְשֻׁהוּ וַיִּמָּצֵא לָהֶם וַיָּנַח ה' לָהֶם מִסָּבִיב

All Judah rejoiced over the oath, as with all their heart they had taken the oath and with all their will they sought Him, and He was found to them; God answered them, and the Lord gave them respite from all around.

וְגַם מַעֲכָה אֵם אָסָא הַמֶּלֶךְ הֱסִירָהּ מִגְּבִירָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה לַאֲשֵׁרָה מִפְלָצֶת וַיִּכְרֹת אָסָא אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּהּ וַיָּדֶק וַיִּשְׂרֹף בְּנַחַל קִדְרוֹן

He, Asa, also deposed Maakha mother of Asa the king, who had crafted a monstrosity, an image that people found horrifying and shocking, to Ashera, removing her from her official position of being queen mother. Asa chopped down her monstrosity, pulverized it into powder, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

וְהַבָּמוֹת לֹא־סָרוּ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל רַק לְבַב־אָסָא הָיָה שָׁלֵם כָּל־יָמָיו

But despite these actions, the shrines were not removed from Israel, and people continued to offer sacrifices upon them; nevertheless, Asa’s heart was whole all his days.

וַיָּבֵא אֶת־קָדְשֵׁי אָבִיו וְקָדָשָׁיו בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וְכֵלִים

He brought the consecrated items of his father and his own consecrated items to the House of God: silver, gold, and vessels.

וּמִלְחָמָה לֹא הָיָתָה עַד שְׁנַת־שְׁלֹשִׁים וְחָמֵשׁ לְמַלְכוּת אָסָא

There was no additional war, neither internally nor externally, until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa, for roughly twenty years. Before Asa’s reign, there were tranquil years, in the wake of Aviya’s victory over Yorovam. Later, during Asa’s reign, the Kushites, who ruled over Egypt, attacked, and after they too were routed, Asa’s control was bolstered, and peace prevailed in his kingdom for many years.