Study Desk

Now ^(C1)the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded,

and he went out ^(F1)to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: ^(C1)the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And ^(C2)if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you.

"^(C1)For many days Israel was without the true God and without ^(C2)a teaching priest and without the Law.

"But ^(C1)in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.

"^(C1)In those times there was no peace for him who went out or him who came in, because many disturbances ^(F1)afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.

"^(C1)Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress.

"But you, ^(C1)be strong and do not ^(F1)lose courage, for there is a ^(C2)reward for your work."

Now when Asa heard these words and the ^(F1)prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and from ^(C1)the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. ^(C2)He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD.