1 Kings - Chapter 15

¹ In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah

² and reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah descendant of Absalom.

³ In everything he followed the sinful example of his father before him; his heart was not wholly with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his ancestor had been.

⁴ However, for David's sake, Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, with a son to succeed him, so keeping Jerusalem secure;

⁵ for David had done what Yahweh regarded as right and had never in all his life disobeyed whatever he commanded him (except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite).

⁶ The rest of the history of Abijam, his entire career,

⁷ is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? Abijam and Jeroboam made war on each other.

⁸ When Abijam fell asleep with his ancestors, he was buried in the City of David; his son Asa succeeded him.

⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah

¹⁰ and reigned for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah descendant of Absalom.

¹¹ Asa did what Yahweh regards as right, as his ancestor David had done.

¹² He drove the male prostitutes out of the country and got rid of all the idols which his ancestors had made.

¹³ He even deprived his grandmother Maacah of the dignity of Great Lady for having made an obscenity for Asherah; Asa cut down her obscenity and burnt it in the ravine of the Kidron.

¹⁴ Though the high places were not abolished, Asa's heart was loyal to Yahweh throughout his life.

¹⁵ He deposited his father's and his own dedicated gifts of silver, gold and sacred vessels in the Temple of Yahweh.

¹⁶ Asa and Baasha king of Israel were at war with each other throughout their reigns.

¹⁷ Baasha king of Israel marched on Judah and fortified Ramah to blockade Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸ Asa then took all the remaining silver and gold left in the treasuries of the Temple of Yahweh and the royal palace. Entrusting this to his servants, King Asa sent them with the following message to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Aram who lived in Damascus,

¹⁹ 'Let us make an alliance between myself and yourself, between my father and your father! Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Come, break off your alliance with Baasha king of Israel, which will make him withdraw from me.'

²⁰ Ben-Hadad listened favourably to King Asa, and sent the generals of his armies to attack the towns of Israel; he ravaged Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, all Chinneroth, and the whole territory of Naphtali.

²¹ When Baasha heard this he gave up fortifying Ramah and retired to Tirzah.

²² King Asa then summoned all Judah, no one was exempt; they took away the stones and timber with which Baasha had been fortifying Ramah, and King Asa used them to fortify Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

²³ The rest of the history of Asa, all his valour, his entire career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? In his old age, however, he contracted a disease of his feet.

²⁴ When Asa fell asleep with his ancestors, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of his ancestor David; his son Jehoshaphat succeeded him.

²⁵ Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.

²⁶ He did what is displeasing to Yahweh; he copied his father's example and the sin into which he had led Israel.

²⁷ Baasha son of Ahijah, of the House of Issachar, plotted against him and murdered him at Gibbethon, a Philistine town which Nadab and all Israel were besieging.

²⁸ Baasha killed Nadab and succeeded him in the third year of Asa king of Judah.

²⁹ No sooner was he king than he butchered the entire House of Jeroboam, not sparing a soul, and put an end to it, just as Yahweh had foretold through his servant Ahijah of Shiloh,

³⁰ because of the sins which he had committed and into which he had led Israel, and because he had provoked the anger of Yahweh, God of Israel.

³¹ The rest of the history of Nadab, his entire career, is this not recorded in

³² the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

³³ In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel at Tirzah for twenty-four years.

³⁴ He did what is displeasing to Yahweh; he copied the example of Jeroboam and the sin into which he had led Israel.

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