The Preacher's Bible

Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. ²He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. ³He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God, as the heart of David his father. ⁴Nevertheless for David’s sake, Jehovah his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; ⁵because David did that which was right in Jehovah’s eyes, and didn’t turn away from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. ⁶Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. ⁷The rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. ⁸Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s city; and Asa his son reigned in his place.

⁹In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah. ¹⁰He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. ¹¹Asa did that which was right in Jehovah’s eyes, as David his father did. ¹²He put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. ¹³He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. ¹⁴But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Jehovah all his days. ¹⁵He brought into Jehovah’s house the things that his father had dedicated, and the things that he himself had dedicated: silver, gold, and utensils. ¹⁶There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. ¹⁷Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. ¹⁸Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that was left in the treasures of Jehovah’s house, and the treasures of the king’s house, and delivered it into the hand of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben Hadad, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, ¹⁹“Let there be a treaty between me and you, like that between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.”

²⁰Ben Hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. ²¹When Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and lived in Tirzah. ²²Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah. No one was exempted. They carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and King Asa used it to build Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah. ²³Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. ²⁴Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

²⁵Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶He did that which was evil in Jehovah’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin. ²⁷Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha struck him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. ²⁸Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha killed him and reigned in his place. ²⁹As soon as he was king, he struck all the house of Jeroboam. He didn’t leave to Jeroboam any who breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of Jehovah, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite; ³⁰for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and with which he made Israel to sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger. ³¹Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ³²There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

³³In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah for twenty-four years. ³⁴He did that which was evil in Jehovah’s sight, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.