¹⁶ There was war^(A) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

Asa’s Last Years^(A)(B)

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha^(C) king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸ Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple^(A) and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent^(B) them to Ben-Hadad^(C) son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ¹⁹ “Let there be a treaty^(D) between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

²⁰ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered^(E) Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. ²¹ When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah^(F) and withdrew to Tirzah.^{(G) 22} Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah^(H) the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa^(I) built up Geba^(J) in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.^(K)

⁷ At that time Hanani^(A) the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied^(B) on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. ⁸ Were not the Cushites^[a](C) and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers^(D) of chariots and horsemen^[b]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered^(E) them into your hand. ⁹ For the eyes^(F) of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish^(G) thing, and from now on you will be at war.^(H)”

¹⁰ Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison.^(I) At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.

³² There was war^(A) between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

16 Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu^(A) son of Hanani^(B) concerning Baasha: ² “I lifted you up from the dust^(C) and appointed you ruler^(D) over my people Israel, but you followed the ways of Jeroboam and caused^(E) my people Israel to sin and to arouse my anger by their sins. ³ So I am about to wipe out Baasha^(F) and his house,^(G) and I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat. ⁴ Dogs^(H) will eat those belonging to Baasha who die in the city, and birds^(I) will feed on those who die in the country.”

⁵ As for the other events of Baasha’s reign, what he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals^(J) of the kings of Israel? ⁶ Baasha rested with his ancestors and was buried in Tirzah.^(K) And Elah his son succeeded him as king.

⁷ Moreover, the word of the Lord came^(L) through the prophet Jehu^(M) son of Hanani to Baasha and his house, because of all the evil he had done in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger by the things he did, becoming like the house of Jeroboam—and also because he destroyed it.

Elah King of Israel

⁸ In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.

⁹ Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk^(N) in the home of Arza, the palace administrator^(O) at Tirzah. ¹⁰ Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king.^(P)

¹⁴ As for the other events of Elah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Zimri King of Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon,^(A) a Philistine town.

¹¹ As soon as he began to reign and was seated on the throne, he killed off Baasha’s whole family.^(A) He did not spare a single male, whether relative or friend. ¹² So Zimri destroyed the whole family of Baasha, in accordance with the word of the Lord spoken against Baasha through the prophet Jehu— ¹³ because of all the sins Baasha and his son Elah had committed and had caused Israel to commit, so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.^(B)

Zimri King of Israel

¹⁵ In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days. The army was encamped near Gibbethon,^(A) a Philistine town. ¹⁶ When the Israelites in the camp heard that Zimri had plotted against the king and murdered him, they proclaimed Omri, the commander of the army, king over Israel that very day there in the camp. ¹⁷ Then Omri and all the Israelites with him withdrew from Gibbethon and laid siege to Tirzah. ¹⁸ When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel of the royal palace and set the palace on fire around him. So he died, ¹⁹ because of the sins he had committed, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

²⁰ As for the other events of Zimri’s reign, and the rebellion he carried out, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?