Abijam Reigns over Judah

15 (A)Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was [a](B)Maacah the daughter of [b](C)Abishalom. He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and (D)his heart was not [c]wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David. But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a (E)lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem, (F)because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and did not deviate from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, (G)except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. (H)And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

Now as for (I)the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? (J)And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

Asa Succeeds Abijam

(K)And Abijam [d]lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Asa became king in his place.

So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. 10 He reigned for forty-one years in Jerusalem; and (L)his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 Now (M)Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord, like his father David. 12 (N)He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and (O)removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13 And even his mother Maacah, (P)he also removed her from the position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable image [e]as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her abominable image and (Q)burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 (R)But the high places [f]were not eliminated; nevertheless (S)Asa’s heart was [g]wholly devoted to the Lord all his days. 15 And (T)he brought into the house of the Lord the [h]holy gifts of his father and his own [i]holy gifts: silver, gold, and valuable utensils.

16 (U)Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 (V)Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and [j](W)fortified Ramah (X)in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then (Y)Asa took all the silver and the gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and handed it over to his servants. And (Z)King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in (AA)Damascus, saying, 19 Let’s make a (AB)treaty between [k]you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 20 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and [l]conquered (AC)Ijon, (AD)Dan, (AE)Abel-beth-maacah, and all (AF)Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard about it, (AG)he stopped [m]fortifying Ramah and remained in (AH)Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built fortifications. And King Asa built with them (AI)Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

23 (AJ)Now as for the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might, and all that he did and the cities which he built, are they not 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. 24 And Asa [n]lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David; and his son (AK)Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

Nadab and Then Baasha Rule over Israel

25 Now (AL)Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years. 26 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and (AM)walked in the way of his father and (AN)in his sin into which he misled Israel. 27 Then (AO)Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck and killed him at (AP)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 29 And as soon as he was king, he struck and killed all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave Jeroboam any [o]persons alive, but kept killing until he had eliminated them, (AQ)in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30 and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he [p]committed, and into (AR)which he misled Israel, because of his provocation with which he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.

31 (AS)Now as for the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

War with Judah

32 (AT)And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned for twenty-four years. 34 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and (AU)walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin into which he misled Israel.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 15:2 In 2 Chr 13:2, Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel
  2. 1 Kings 15:2 In 2 Chr 11:20, Absalom
  3. 1 Kings 15:3 Lit complete with
  4. 1 Kings 15:8 I.e., died
  5. 1 Kings 15:13 Or for Asherah; i.e., wooden symbol of a female deity
  6. 1 Kings 15:14 Lit did not cease
  7. 1 Kings 15:14 Lit complete with
  8. 1 Kings 15:15 Or votive offerings; i.e., gifts vowed
  9. 1 Kings 15:15 Or votive offerings; i.e., gifts vowed
  10. 1 Kings 15:17 Lit built
  11. 1 Kings 15:19 Lit me and you
  12. 1 Kings 15:20 Lit struck
  13. 1 Kings 15:21 Lit building
  14. 1 Kings 15:24 I.e., died
  15. 1 Kings 15:29 Lit breath
  16. 1 Kings 15:30 Lit sinned

Abijam Reigns in Judah(A)

15 (B)In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem. (C)His mother’s name was (D)Maachah the granddaughter of (E)Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; (F)his heart was not [a]loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. Nevertheless (G)for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem; because David (H)did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, (I)except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. (J)And there was war between [b]Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. (K)Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

(L)So Abijam [c]rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son reigned in his place.

Asa Reigns in Judah(M)

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah. 10 And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s name was Maachah the granddaughter of Abishalom. 11 (N)Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father David. 12 (O)And he banished the [d]perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 Also he removed (P)Maachah his grandmother from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of [e]Asherah. And Asa cut down her obscene image and (Q)burned it by the Brook Kidron. 14 (R)But the [f]high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa’s (S)heart was loyal to the Lord all his days. 15 He also brought into the house of the Lord the things which his father (T)had dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils.

16 Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 And (U)Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built (V)Ramah, (W)that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to (X)Ben-Hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in (Y)Damascus, saying, 19 Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a present of silver and gold. Come and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

20 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and (Z)sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked (AA)Ijon, (AB)Dan, (AC)Abel Beth Maachah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah, and remained in (AD)Tirzah.

22 (AE)Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted. And they took away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them King Asa built (AF)Geba of Benjamin, and (AG)Mizpah.

23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But (AH)in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 So Asa [g]rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. (AI)Then (AJ)Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab Reigns in Israel

25 Now (AK)Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in (AL)his sin by which he had made Israel sin.

27 (AM)Then Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha killed him at (AN)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon. 28 Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 29 And it was so, when he became king, that he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to (AO)the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30 (AP)because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.

31 Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 32 (AQ)And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Baasha Reigns in Israel

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in (AR)the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 15:3 Lit. at peace with
  2. 1 Kings 15:6 So with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; some Heb. mss., Syr. Abijam
  3. 1 Kings 15:8 Died and joined his ancestors
  4. 1 Kings 15:12 Heb. qedeshim, those practicing sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals
  5. 1 Kings 15:13 A Canaanite goddess
  6. 1 Kings 15:14 Places for pagan worship
  7. 1 Kings 15:24 Died and joined his ancestors