2 Chronicles 15:2

So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Azariah son of Oded, filled by the Spirit of God (v. 1), goes out to meet King Asa and addresses him together with all Judah and Benjamin at the beginning of Asa's reign.

The words — שְׁמָעוּ (shema'u), "listen to me," is the plural imperative of the same root as the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4); it frames the entire address as a call to hear before acting.

The thread — James 4:8 mirrors the reciprocal structure ("Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you"), and 2 Chronicles 15:4 immediately supplies the fulfillment: Israel sought the LORD and was found.

Why it lands — The verse is a conditional, not an assurance; it places the initiative on the human side of the relationship and makes abandonment a real possibility.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיֵּצֵא֮va/i.ye.Tze'and/ he went out לִפְנֵ֣יli/f.Nei<to>/ before אָסָא֒'a.Sa'Asa וַיֹּ֣אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he saidל֔וֹl/oto/ himשְׁמָע֕וּנִיshe.ma.'U./nilisten to/ me אָסָ֖א'a.Sa'O Asa וְכָל־ve./kholand/ all יְהוּדָ֣הye.hu.DahJudah וּבִנְיָמִ֑ןu./vin.ya.Minand/ Benjamin יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahweh עִמָּכֶם֙'i.ma./Khem[is] with/ you בִּֽהְיֽוֹתְכֶ֣םbi/h.yot./Khemwhen/ are/ you עִמּ֔וֹi.M/owith/ him וְאִֽם־ve./'im-and/ if תִּדְרְשֻׁ֙הוּ֙tid.re.Shu./huyou will seek/ him יִמָּצֵ֣אyi.ma.Tze'he will let himself be foundלָכֶ֔םla./Khemby/ youוְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if תַּעַזְבֻ֖הוּta.'az.Vu./huyou will forsake/ him יַעֲזֹ֥בya.'a.Zohe will forsake אֶתְכֶֽם׃ ס'et./Khem<obj.>/ you

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
2 Chronicles 24:20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’”
2 Chronicles 15:4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought Him, and He was found by them.
1 Chronicles 28:9 As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Hebrews 10:38 But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”
Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
2 Chronicles 15:15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn it with all their heart. They had sought Him earnestly, and He was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
Hebrews 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns us from heaven?

People named

Asa