And he went out to meet Asa, and saidunto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he willforsake you.
And when Asa heardthesewords, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he tookcourage, and put away the abominableidols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the citieswhich he had takenfrommountEphraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangerswiththem out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for theyfell to him out of Israel in abundance, whenthey saw that the LORD his God was with him.
And all Judahrejoiced at the oath: for they had swornwith all theirheart, and sought him withtheirwholedesire; and he was found of them: and the LORDgavethemrestroundabout.
And alsoconcerningMaachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her frombeingqueen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brookKidron.