Abijam Reigns in Judah

15 (A)Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and (B)his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father. Nevertheless, for David's sake the Lord his God gave him (C)a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, because (D)David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, (E)except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. (F)Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. (G)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? (H)And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. (I)And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place.

Asa Reigns in Judah

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 (J)And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. 12 He put away the (K)male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed (L)all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 (M)He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and (N)burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 (O)But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, (P)the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days. 15 And (Q)he brought into the house of the Lord the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16 (R)And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 (S)Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and (T)built Ramah, (U)that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold (V)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. (W)And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, (X)who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be (Y)a covenant[a] between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered (Z)Ijon, (AA)Dan, (AB)Abel-beth-maacah, and all (AC)Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, (AD)he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in (AE)Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built (AF)Geba of Benjamin and (AG)Mizpah. 23 (AH)Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and (AI)Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab Reigns in Israel

25 (AJ)Nadab 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. 26 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (AK)and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin (AL)which he made Israel to sin.

27 (AM)Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at (AN)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for 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 killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, (AO)according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and (AP)that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.

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 began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (AR)and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 15:19 Or treaty; twice in this verse

Judah’s King Abijam

15 In the eighteenth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah, and he reigned three years in Jerusalem.(A) His mother’s name was Maacah(B) daughter[a] of Abishalom.

Abijam walked in all the sins his father before him had committed,(C) and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been.(D) But for the sake of David, the Lord his God gave him a lamp[b] in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him and by preserving Jerusalem.(E) For David did what was right in the Lord’s sight, and he did not turn aside from anything he had commanded him all the days of his life,(F) except in the matter of Uriah(G) the Hethite.

There had been war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam’s life.(H) The rest of the events of Abijam’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(I) There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam.(J) Abijam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.(K) His son Asa became king in his place.(L)

Judah’s King Asa

In the twentieth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam,(M) Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s[c] name was Maacah(N) daughter of Abishalom.

11 Asa did what was right in the Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done.(O) 12 He banished the male cult prostitutes(P) from the land and removed all of the idols that his ancestors had made.(Q) 13 He also(R) removed his grandmother[d] Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image and burned it(S) in the Kidron Valley.(T) 14 The high places were not taken away,(U) but Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his entire life.(V) 15 He brought his father’s consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into the Lord’s temple: silver, gold, and utensils.(W)

16 There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel throughout their reigns.(X) 17 Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah.(Y) He built Ramah(Z) in order to keep anyone from leaving or coming to King Asa of Judah. 18 So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple(AA) and the treasuries of the royal palace and gave it to his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad(AB) son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Aram who lived in Damascus,(AC) saying, 19 “There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father.(AD) Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel(AE) so that he will withdraw from me.”

20 Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked Ijon,(AF) Dan,(AG) Abel-beth-maacah,(AH) all Chinnereth,(AI) and the whole land of Naphtali.(AJ) 21 When Baasha heard about it, he quit building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.(AK) 22 Then King Asa gave a command to everyone without exception in Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then King Asa built Geba(AL) of Benjamin and Mizpah(AM) with them.

23 The rest of all the events of Asa’s reign,(AN) along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(AO) But in his old age he developed a disease in his feet.(AP) 24 Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of his ancestor David.(AQ) His son Jehoshaphat(AR) became king in his place.

Israel’s King Nadab

25 Nadab son of Jeroboam(AS) became king over Israel in the second year of Judah’s King Asa; he reigned over Israel two years. 26 Nadab did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and walked in the ways of his father and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.(AT)

27 Then Baasha(AU) son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon(AV) of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. 28 In the third year of Judah’s King Asa,(AW) Baasha killed Nadab(AX) and reigned in his place.

29 When Baasha became king, he struck down the entire house of Jeroboam.(AY) He did not leave Jeroboam any survivors but[e] destroyed his family according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.(AZ) 30 This was because Jeroboam had angered[f] the Lord God of Israel by the sins he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.(BA)

31 The rest of the events of Nadab’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(BB) 32 There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel throughout their reigns.(BC)

Israel’s King Baasha

33 In the third year of Judah’s King Asa, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah(BD) twenty-four years. 34 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and walked in the ways of Jeroboam and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.(BE)

Footnotes

  1. 15:2 Possibly granddaughter, also in v. 10; 2Ch 13:2
  2. 15:4 Or dominion
  3. 15:10 Lit mother’s
  4. 15:13 Lit mother
  5. 15:29 Lit Jeroboam anyone breathing until he
  6. 15:30 Lit provoked in the provocation of