Alliance with Aram against Israel

¹⁶ There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel all their days.^{(A) 17} King Baasha of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to King Asa of Judah.^{(B) 18} Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house and gave them into the hands of his servants. King Asa sent them to King Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion of Aram, who resided in Damascus, saying,^{(C) 19} “Let there be an alliance between me and you, like that between my father and your father: I am sending you a present of silver and gold; go, break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he may withdraw from me.” ²⁰ Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.^{(D) 21} When Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and lived in Tirzah. ²² Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah; none was exempt: they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building; with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.^(E)

²⁷ Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.^{(A) 28} So Baasha killed Nadab^[a] in the third year of King Asa of Judah and succeeded him. ²⁹ As soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam; he left to the house of Jeroboam not one who breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite^(B)— ³⁰ because of the sins of Jeroboam that he committed and that he caused Israel to commit and because of the anger to which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.^(C)

³¹ Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?^{(D) 32} There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel all their days.

Second Dynasty: Baasha Reigns over Israel

³³ In the third year of King Asa of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah; he reigned twenty-four years. ³⁴ He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Jeroboam and in the sin that he caused Israel to commit.^(E)

16 The word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,^{(A) 2} “Since I exalted you out of the dust and made you leader over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have caused my people Israel to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,^{(B) 3} therefore I will consume Baasha and his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat.^{(C) 4} Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the air shall eat.”^(D)

⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, what he did, and his power, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?^{(E) 6} Baasha slept with his ancestors and was buried at Tirzah, and his son Elah succeeded him.^{(F) 7} Moreover, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and also because he destroyed it.^(G)

²² and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.

⁹ I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah.^(A)

Solomon Requests Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David strengthened himself in his kingdom; the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.^(A)

² Solomon summoned all Israel, the commanders of the thousands and of the hundreds, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel, the heads of families.^{(B) 3} Then Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there.^{(C) 4} (But David had brought the ark of God up from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.)^{(D) 5} Moreover, the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur had made was there in front of the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly inquired at it.^{(E) 6} Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.^(F)

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I should give you.”^{(G) 8} Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to my father David and have made me succeed him as king.^{(H) 9} O Lord God, let your promise to my father David now be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.^{(I) 10} Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of yours?”^{(J) 11} God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you and have not even asked for long life but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may rule my people over whom I have made you king,^{(K) 12} wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.”^{(L) 13} So Solomon came from^[a] the high place at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Military and Commercial Activity

¹⁴ Solomon gathered together chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.^{(M) 15} The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamores of the Shephelah.^{(N) 16} Solomon’s import of horses was from Egypt and Kue; the king’s traders received them from Kue at the prevailing price.^{(O) 17} They imported from Egypt (and then exported) a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for one hundred fifty, so through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.