1
Ndipo roho ya Mungu ikamjia Azaria mwana wa Odedi;
Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.
2
naye akatoka ili amlaki Asa, akamwambia, Nisikieni, Ee Asa, na Yuda wote na Benyamini; Bwana yu pamoja nanyi, mkiwa pamoja naye; nanyi mkimtafuta ataonekana kwenu; lakini mkimwacha atawaacha ninyi.
So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
3
Basi tangu siku nyingi Israeli wamekuwa hawana Mungu wa kweli, wala hawana kuhani afundishaye, wala hawana torati;
For many years Israel has been without the true God, without a priest to instruct them, and without the law.
4
lakini walipomgeukia Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, katika msiba wao, na kumtafuta, akaonekana kwao.
But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.
5
Hata na zamani zile hakukuwa na amani kwake atokaye, wala kwake aingiaye, ila fadhaa kubwa juu yao wote wakaao katika nchi.
In those days there was no safety for travelers, because the residents of the lands had many conflicts.
6
Wakavunjika-vunjika, taifa juu ya taifa, na mji juu ya mji; kwani Mungu aliwafadhaisha kwa shida zote.
Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God afflicted them with all kinds of adversity.
7
Nanyi jipeni nguvu, wala mikono yenu isilegee; kwa maana kazi yenu itakuwa na ijara.
But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
8
Naye Asa alipoyasikia maneno hayo, yaani, unabii wa mwana wa Odedi nabii, akatiwa nguvu, akayaondolea mbali machukizo yote katika nchi ya Yuda na Benyamini, na katika miji aliyoitwaa milimani mwa Efraimu; akaifanyiza tena madhabahu ya Bwana, iliyokuwako mbele ya ukumbi wa Bwana.
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage and removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple.
9
Akakusanya Yuda wote na Benyamini, na hao wageni waliokaa kwao, wa Efraimu, na wa Manase, na wa Simeoni; kwa kuwa walimwangukia wengi katika Israeli, walipoona kwamba Bwana, Mungu wake, alikuwa pamoja naye.
And he assembled all Judah and Benjamin, along with those from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them, for great numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
10
Basi wakakusanyika huko Yerusalemu mwezi wa tatu, katika mwaka wa kumi na tano wa kumiliki kwake Asa.
So they gathered together in Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.
11
Wakamchinjia Bwana siku ile, katika nyara walizozileta, dhabihu za ng'ombe mia saba, na kondoo elfu saba.
At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep from all the plunder they had brought back.
12
Wakafanya agano, ya kuwa watamtafuta Bwana, Mungu wa baba zao, kwa mioyo yao yote, na kwa roho zao zote;
Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.
13
na ya kwamba ye yote asiyemtafuta Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, atauawa, akiwa mdogo au mkubwa, kwamba ni mwanamume au mwanamke.
And whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, would be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.
14
Wakamwapia Bwana kwa sauti kuu, na kwa kelele, na kwa mapanda, na kwa baragumu.
They took an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets, and rams’ horns.
15
Na Yuda wote wakakifurahia kile kiapo; kwani wameapa kwa moyo wao wote, na kumtafuta kwa mapenzi yao pia; naye ameonekana kwao; naye Bwana akawastarehesha pande zote.
And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.
16
Hata na Maaka mamaye Asa, mfalme akamwondolea daraja yake asiwe malkia, kwa kuwa amefanya sanamu ya kuchukiza kwa Ashera; basi Asa akaikata sanamu yake, akaiponda, akaiteketeza penye kijito cha Kidroni.
King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
17
Lakini mahali pa juu hapakuondolewa katika Israeli; ila moyo wake Asa ulikuwa mkamilifu siku zake zote.
The high places were not removed from Israel, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted all his days.
18
Akavileta nyumbani mwa Mungu vitu alivyovitakasa babaye, na vile alivyovitakasa mwenyewe, fedha, na dhahabu, na vyombo.
And he brought into the house of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.
19
Wala hapakuwa na vita tena hata mwaka wa thelathini na tano wa kutawala kwake Asa.
And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.