11 On that day they sacrificed to the Lord part of the loot they had taken: seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 They made a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and all their being.
13 They agreed that anyone who refused to seek the Lord, Israel’s God, would be put to death, whether young or old, male or female.
14 They swore this to the Lord with a loud voice, shouts of joy, and blasts from trumpets and horns.
15 All Judah was delighted with the solemn pledge because they had sworn it with all their hearts. When they enthusiastically sought God, he was found by them, and the Lord gave them peace on every side.
16 Asa the king even removed his grandmother Maacah from the position of queen mother because she had made an image of Asherah. Asa cut down her image, pulverized it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
17 Although the shrines weren’t removed from Israel, Asa nevertheless remained committed with all his heart throughout his life.