The Prophecy of Azariah

1Then the Spirite of God came vpon Azariah the sonne of Obed. 2And he went out to meete Asa, and said vnto him, O Asa, and all Iudah, and Beniamin, heare ye me. The Lorde is with you, while ye be with him: and if ye seeke him, he wil be founde of you, but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 3Nowe for a long season Israel hath bene without the true God, and without Priest to teach and without Lawe. 4But whosoeuer returned in his affliction to the Lorde God of Israel, and sought him, he was founde of them. 5And in that time there was no peace to him, that did goe out and goe in: but great troubles were to all the inhabitants of the earth. 6For nation was destroyed of nation, and citie of citie: for God troubled them with all aduersitie. 7Be ye strong therefore, and let not your handes be weake: for your worke shall haue a rewarde.

Asa’s Reforms
(1 Kings 15:9–15)

8And when Asa heard these wordes, and the prophesie of Obed the Prophet, he was encouraged, and tooke away the abominations out of all the lande of Iudah, and Beniamin, and out of the cities which he had taken of mount Ephraim, and he renued the altar of the Lorde, that was before the porche of the Lorde. 9And he gathered all Iudah and Beniamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for there fell many to him out of Israel, when they sawe that the Lorde his God was with him. 10So they assembled to Ierusalem in the third moneth, in the fifteenth yere of the reigne of Asa. 11And they offred vnto the Lorde the same time of the spoyle, which they had brought, euen seuen hundreth bullockes, and seuen thousande sheepe. 12And they made a couenant to seeke the Lorde God of their fathers, with all their heart, and with all their soule. 13And whosoeuer will not seeke the Lorde God of Israel, shalbe slaine, whether he were small or great, man or woman. 14And they sware vnto the Lorde with a loude voyce, and with shouting and with trumpets, and with cornets. 15And all Iudah reioyced at the othe: for they had sworne vnto the Lorde with all their heart, and sought him with a whole desire, and he was founde of them; the Lorde gaue them rest rounde about.

16And King Asa deposed Maachah his mother from her regencie, because she had made an idole in a groue: and Asa brake downe her idole, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brooke Kidron. 17But the hie places were not taken away out of Israel: yet the heart of Asa was perfit all his dayes. 18Also he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicate, and that he had dedicate, siluer, and golde, and vessels. 19And there was no warre vnto the fiue and thirtieth yeere of the reigne of Asa.