1 And the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 and he went out to meet Asa, and said unto 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 will forsake you.
3 Now for long seasons Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law:
4 But when in their distress they turned unto the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the lands.
6 And they were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
7 But be ye strong, and let not your hands be slack: for your work shall be rewarded.