Asa Destroys the Idols in Judah
1 Some time later, God spoke to Azariah son of Oded. 2 At once, Azariah went to Asa and said:
Listen to me, King Asa and you people of Judah and Benjamin. The Lord will be with you and help you, as long as you obey and worship him. But if you disobey him, he will desert you.
3 For a long time, the people of Israel did not worship the true God or listen to priests who could teach them about God. They refused to obey God's Law. 4 But whenever trouble came, Israel turned back to the Lord their God and worshiped him.
5 There was so much confusion in those days that it wasn't safe to go anywhere in Israel. 6 Nations were destroying each other, and cities were wiping out other cities, because God was causing trouble and unrest everywhere.
7 So you must be brave. Don't give up! God will honor you for obeying him.
8 As soon as Asa heard what Azariah the prophet said, he gave orders for all the idols in Judah and Benjamin to be destroyed, including those in the towns he had captured in the territory of Ephraim. He also repaired the Lord's altar that was in front of the temple porch.
9 Asa called together the people from Judah and Benjamin, as well as the people from the territories of Ephraim, West Manasseh, and Simeon who were living in Judah. Many of these people were now loyal to Asa, because they had seen that the Lord was with him.
10 In the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's rule, they all met in Jerusalem. 11 That same day, they took 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats from what they had brought back from Gerar and sacrificed them as offerings to the Lord. 12 They made a solemn promise to faithfully worship the Lord God their ancestors had worshiped, 13 and to put to death anyone who refused to obey him. 14 The crowd solemnly agreed to keep their promise to the Lord, then they celebrated by shouting and blowing trumpets and horns. 15 Everyone was happy because they had made this solemn promise, and in return, the Lord blessed them with peace from all their enemies.
16 Asa's grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting idol of the goddess Asherah, so he cut it down, crushed it, and burned it in Kidron Valley. Then he removed Maacah from her position as queen mother. 17 As long as Asa lived, he was faithful to the Lord, even though he did not destroy the local shrines in Israel. 18 He placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to God.
19 There was peace in Judah until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's rule.
Asa ma yarura ko omerikutiropamwe koupe
1 Ombepo ya Ndjambi ye ya ku Asarja, omuzandu wa Oded; 2 neye wa ya okukahakaena nombara Asa, na karavaera a tja: “Puratena ku ami, mbara Asa, na eṋe amuhe Vajuda nOvabenjamin! Muhona u ri puna eṋe, eṋe ngunda amu ri puna ye. Tji mamu mu paha, eye me rimunikisa ku eṋe, nungwari tji mamu humburuka na ye, eye ma humburuka na eṋe. 3 Oruveze orure Ovaisrael va kara nokuhina Ndjambi watjiri, nokuhinovapristeri okuvehonga, nokuhinomatwako. 4 Nungwari oumba tji weya, owo ve ritanaura ku Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel. Ve mu paha nave mu munu. 5 Momayuva ngena kapa ri omundu ngwaa ryanga mohange, tjinga amwa ri oumba nezunganeno momahi aehe. 6 Otjiwaṋa tjimwe aatji ṋiṋikiza otjikwao, notjihuro tjimwe aatji ṋiṋikiza otjikwao, Ndjambi tjinga a etere oumba nombamisiro ku vyo. 7 Nungwari eṋe panḓipareye, nu amu mumapara. Oviungura, mbi mamu ungura, mavi munu ondjambi.”
8 Asa tja za nokuzuva omaukiro, nga hungirirwa i Asarja, omuzandu wa Oded, otja yanḓipara. Eye wa nakaura oomukuru avehe vovisenginina mehi ra Juda nora Benjamin, noomukuru avehe vovisenginina mba ri movihuro eye mbya huurire mehi rozondundu ra Efraim. Wina wa tungurura otjipunguhiro tja Muhona tjaa tji kurama morumbo rwondjuwo ya Muhona.
9 Asa wa rakiza kotjiwaṋa atjihe kutja tji worongane, okutja otjo hi otja Juda notja Benjamin, novandu avehe mba konda komukuma we okuza kehi ra Efraim nora Manasse nora Simeon, nu nambano mba tura mouhona we, orondu owo va muna kutja Muhona wa ri puna ye. 10 Owo va woronganena mOjerusalem momueze outjatatu wombura oitjamurongo nandano youhona wa Asa. 11 Meyuva ndo owo va punguhira Muhona ozongombe omasere hambombari, nozonḓu omayovi hambombari okuza movihuurwa, mbi va eterera. 12 Owo va tjita omerikutiropamwe, nu va zuvasana kutja mave rikotamene ku Muhona, Ndjambi wooihe mukururume, nomitima nominyo vyawo avihe. 13 Auhe, omutanda poo omukururume, omurumendu poo omukazendu ngu he rikotamenene ku Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, wa pwire pokuṱa. 14 Owo va tjita oruyano neraka enene mena ra Muhona kutja mave yenenisa omerikutiropamwe; tjazumba va yoroka nave tono ozohiva. 15 Otjiwaṋa atjihe tja Juda tja kara nenyando, tjinga atja tjita omerikutiropamwe nga nomutima watjo auhe. Va kara nondjoroka mokurikotamena ku Muhona, neye we ve yakura ne ve pe ohange komikuma avihe.
16 Ombara Asa wa isa mo ina mukurukaze wena Maaka motjihavero otja ombara oserekaze ina, mena rokutja Maaka wa tungire otjiserekarera otjiyaukise tjomukuru wotjisenginina oserekaze Asera. Asa wa ka otjiserekarera hi moundimbu pekepeke na ningiririsire oundimbu mbwi motjana tja Kidron. 17 Nangarire kutja Asa ka nyonene poṋa pekepeke pomerikotameneno kovisenginina kozondunda, wa kara nouṱakame mu Muhona ngunda e nomuinyo. 18 Eye wa twa oviyambo ihe mbya yapurira Ndjambi mondjuwo ya Muhona, wina imbi oviyambo avihe ovingoldo novisilveri eye omuini mbye mu yapurira. 19 Kape na pa karere ovita rukwao nga mombura ndji oitjamirongo vitatu nandano youhona we.
