16 In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

10 Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.

13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

14 And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art: and they made a very great burning for him.

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.[a] Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: “I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made.[b] See, I have sent you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.”[c] Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel.[d] They conquered[e] Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim,[f] and all the storage cities of Naphtali. When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying[g] Ramah and abandoned the project.[h] King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah.[i] He used the materials to build up[j] Geba and Mizpah.

At that time Hanani the prophet[k] visited King Asa of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Did not the Cushites and Libyans have a huge army with chariots and a very large number of horsemen? But when you relied on the Lord, he handed them over to you! Certainly[l] the Lord watches the whole earth carefully[m] and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him.[n] You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” 10 Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail.[o] Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time.

Asa’s Reign Ends

11 The events of Asa’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.[p] 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a foot disease and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease, he did not seek the Lord, but only the doctors. 13 Asa passed away[q] in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 He was buried in the tomb he had carved out in the City of David.[r] They laid him to rest on a platform[s] covered with spices and assorted mixtures of ointments. They made a huge bonfire to honor him.[t]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 16:1 tn Heb “and he built up Ramah so as to not permit going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 16:3 tn Heb “[May there be] a covenant between me and you [as there was] between my father and your father.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 16:3 tn Heb “so he will go up from upon me.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 16:4 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies which belonged to him against the cities of Israel.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 16:4 tn Heb “They struck down.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 16:4 sn In the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 15:20, this city’s name appears as Abel Beth Maacah. These appear to be variant names for the same place.
  7. 2 Chronicles 16:5 tn Heb “building.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 16:5 tn Heb “and he caused his work to cease.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 16:6 tn Heb “and King Asa took all Judah and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its wood which Baasha had built.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 16:6 tn Heb “and he built with them.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 16:7 tn Heb “the seer.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tn Or “for.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tn Heb “the eyes of the Lord move quickly through all the earth.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tn Heb “to strengthen himself with their heart, [the one] complete toward him.”
  15. 2 Chronicles 16:10 tn Heb “and Asa was angry at the seer, and he put him [in] the house of stocks, because of his rage with him over this.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 16:11 tn Heb “Look, the events of Asa, the former and the latter, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 16:13 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers, and he died.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 16:14 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  19. 2 Chronicles 16:14 tn The Hebrew term מִשְׁכָּב (mishkav) most often refers to a bed. In this setting it was most likely a raised platform within the tomb where the body was laid to rest, technically similar to a bier.
  20. 2 Chronicles 16:14 tn Heb “and they burned for him a large fire, very great.”

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.

Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.(D) “Let there be a treaty(E) between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali.(F) When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.(G)

At that time Hanani(H) the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied(I) on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites[b](J) and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers(K) of chariots and horsemen[c]? Yet when you relied on the Lord, he delivered(L) them into your hand. For the eyes(M) of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish(N) thing, and from now on you will be at war.(O)

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

11 The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted(Q) with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek(R) help from the Lord,(S) but only from the physicians. 13 Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself(T) in the City of David. They laid him on a bier covered with spices and various blended perfumes,(U) and they made a huge fire(V) in his honor.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 16:4 Also known as Abel Beth Maakah
  2. 2 Chronicles 16:8 That is, people from the upper Nile region
  3. 2 Chronicles 16:8 Or charioteers

Ang Kataposan nga Tuig ni Asa

(1 Hari 15:17-24)

16 Sa ika-36 nga tuig sa paghari ni Asa, gisulong ni Baasha nga hari sa Israel ang Juda. Ug gisugdan ni Haring Baasha ang pagpalig-on sa lungsod sa Rama aron walay makagawas o makasulod sa teritoryo ni Asa nga hari sa Juda.

Gipanguha ni Asa ang mga pilak ug bulawan sa mga bodega sa templo sa Ginoo ug sa iyang palasyo, ug gipadala kini kang Ben Hadad nga hari sa Aram[a] nga nagpuyo didto sa Damascus. Mao kini ang mensahe ni Asa kang Ben Hadad: “Maghimo kitag kasabotan nga magdinapigay kita, sama sa gihimo sa atong mga amahan. Dawata ang gipadala ko kanimo nga pilak ug bulawan, ug undanga ang imong pagpakig-abin kang Baasha nga hari sa Israel aron mobiya na siya sa akong teritoryo.”

Misugot si Ben Hadad sa gihangyo ni Haring Asa, ug gisugo niya ang mga komander sa iyang mga sundalo nga sulongon ang mga lungsod sa Israel. Nailog nila ang Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, ug ang tanang mga lungsod sa Naftali diin mahimutang ang mga bodega. Sa dihang nabalitaan kini ni Baasha, gipaundang niya ang pagpahimo ug paril sa Rama. Unya mimando si Haring Asa sa tanang mga kalalakin-an sa Juda nga panguhaon ang mga bato ug mga troso nga gigamit ni Baasha sa pagpahimog paril sa Rama, ug gigamit niya kini sa pagpahimog paril sa Geba ug sa Mizpa.

Niadtong higayona, miadto si Hanani nga propeta kang Asa nga hari sa Juda ug miingon kaniya, “Tungod kay misalig ka sa hari sa Aram ug dili sa Ginoo nga imong Dios, nakaikyas gikan kaninyo[b] ang mga sundalo sa hari sa Aram. Wala ka ba nahinumdom kon unsa ang nahitabo sa mga taga-Etiopia[c] ug taga-Libya kansang mga sundalo, mga karwahe, ug mga tigkabayo labihan kadaghan? Niadtong higayona misalig ka sa Ginoo, ug gipapildi niya sila kaninyo. Kay nagatan-aw ang Ginoo sa tibuok kalibotan aron paglig-on sa mga tawo nga matinud-anon gayod kaniya. Binuang ang imong gihimo! Busa sukad karon kanunay ka nang makiggira.”

10 Tungod niini, nasuko pag-ayo si Asa sa propeta, busa gipapriso niya kini. Ug niana usab nga higayon, nagsugod na ang kabangis ni Asa sa uban niya nga mga katawhan.

11 Ang uban pang sugilanon mahitungod sa paghari ni Asa, gikan sa sinugdan hangtod sa kataposan, nahisulat sa libro sa mga sugilanon bahin sa mga hari sa Juda ug sa Israel. 12 Sa ika-39 nga tuig sa paghari ni Asa, nagaantos siya sa sakit sa tiil. Bisan grabe na ang iyang sakit, wala siya mangayo ug tabang sa Ginoo; didto hinuon siya midangop sa mga mananambal. 13 Sa ika-41 nga tuig sa iyang paghari, namatay siya. 14 Gilubong siya sa lubnganan nga iyang gipahimo alang sa iyang kaugalingon didto sa Lungsod ni David. Gipahimutang siya sa lubnganan nga puno sa nagkalain-laing mga pahumot, ug naghimo ang mga tawo ug dako nga daob sa pagpasidungog kaniya.

Footnotes

  1. 16:2 Aram: o, Syria.
  2. 16:7 nakaikyas gikan kaninyo: o, nawala gikan kaninyo ang kahigayonan nga mapildi.
  3. 16:8 taga-Etiopia: sa Hebreo, taga-Cush.