1 Kings 15
Lexham English Bible
The Reign of Abijam in Judah
15 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. 2 Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3 He walked in all the sins of his father that he had done before him, and his heart was not fully with Yahweh his God as the heart of David his father. 4 For the sake of David, Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by establishing his son after him and by causing Jerusalem to exist; 5 because David did right in the eyes of Yahweh and he didn’t turn aside from all that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 The remainder of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 Abijam slept with his ancestors,[a] and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son became king in his place.
The Reign of Asa in Judah
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. 10 He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did right in the eyes of Yahweh, like David his ancestor.[b] 12 He put away the male shrine prostitutes from the land, and he removed all of the idols that his ancestors[c] made. 13 Also, he had Maacah his mother removed from the office of queen mother, as she had made a repulsive image for the Asherah. Asa also cut down her repulsive image and burned it in the Wadi[d] Kidron. 14 But the high places he did not remove. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was completely with Yahweh all of his days. 15 He brought the holy objects of his father and his own holy objects to the house of Yahweh, silver and gold and utensils.
16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all of their days. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and he built Ramah to hinder the coming and going of anyone to Asa[e] king of Judah. 18 Asa took all of the silver and gold remaining in the storerooms of the house of Yahweh and in the treasury rooms of the house of the king, and he gave them into the hand of his servants; so King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad the son of Tabrimmon the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a covenant between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel that he may go up away from me.” 20 Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and he attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, and all of Kinnereth, in addition to all the land of Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa proclaimed among all of Israel that there was no one free from obligation, so they carried the stones of Ramah and its wood with which Baasha had built, and King Asa rebuilt Geba in Benjamin with them, and the Mizpah. 23 The remainder of the acts of Asa, all of his achievements, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? But at the time of his old age, he developed a foot disease.[f] 24 Asa slept with his ancestors[g] and was buried with his ancestors[h] in the city of David his ancestor;[i] Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place.
The Reign of Nadab in Israel
25 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 evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and he walked in the way of his father and in his sin that he caused Israel to commit. 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. Now Nadab and all of Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon, 28 and Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa the king of Judah, and he reigned in his place. 29 It happened that as soon as he became king, he killed all of the house of Jeroboam. There was no one left of Jeroboam who breathed, until he had destroyed him according to the word of Yahweh that he had spoken by the hand of his servant, Ahijah the Shilonite, 30 because of the sins of Jeroboam that he had committed and that he had caused Israel to commit and because of his anger with which he had provoked Yahweh the God of Israel. 31 Now the remainder of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?
The Reign of Baasha in Israel
32 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah had become king over all of Israel; he lived in Tirzah twenty-four years. 34 He did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and he walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin that he caused Israel to commit.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 15:8 Or “fathers”
- 1 Kings 15:11 Or “father”
- 1 Kings 15:12 Or “fathers”
- 1 Kings 15:13 Or “valley”; a wadi is a valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season
- 1 Kings 15:17 Literally “to not give going and coming to Asa”
- 1 Kings 15:23 Literally “he became ill in his feet”
- 1 Kings 15:24 Or “fathers”
- 1 Kings 15:24 Or “fathers”
- 1 Kings 15:24 Or “father”
1 Kings 15
New King James Version
Abijam Reigns in Judah(A)
15 (B)In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. (C)His mother’s name was (D)Maachah the granddaughter of (E)Abishalom. 3 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. 4 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; 5 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. 6 (J)And there was war between [b]Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 (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.
8 (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)
9 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 Kings 15:3 Lit. at peace with
- 1 Kings 15:6 So with MT, LXX, Tg., Vg.; some Heb. mss., Syr. Abijam
- 1 Kings 15:8 Died and joined his ancestors
- 1 Kings 15:12 Heb. qedeshim, those practicing sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals
- 1 Kings 15:13 A Canaanite goddess
- 1 Kings 15:14 Places for pagan worship
- 1 Kings 15:24 Died and joined his ancestors
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
