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Abijam Reigns over Judah

15 (A)Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was [a](B)Maacah the daughter of [b](C)Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and (D)his heart was not [c]wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, like the heart of his father David. But for David’s sake Yahweh his God gave him a (E)lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; (F)because David did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, (G)except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. (H)Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

Now (I)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? (J)And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. (K)And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place.

Asa Reigns over Judah

Now in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. 10 And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and (L)his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 (M)And Asa did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, like David his father. 12 (N)He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and (O)removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13 [d](P)He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image [e]for Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and (Q)burned it at the brook Kidron. 14 (R)But the high places were not removed; nevertheless (S)the heart of Asa was [f]wholly devoted to Yahweh all his days. 15 (T)And he brought into the house of Yahweh the holy things of his father and his own holy things: silver and gold and utensils.

Asa Wars Against Baasha

16 (U)Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 (V)And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and (W)built up Ramah (X)in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then (Y)Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And (Z)King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in (AA)Damascus, saying, 19 Let there be a (AB)covenant between [g]you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 20 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his military force against the cities of Israel, and struck down (AC)Ijon, (AD)Dan, (AE)Abel-beth-maacah and all (AF)Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. 21 Now it happened that when Baasha heard of it, (AG)he ceased building up Ramah and remained in (AH)Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa caused an announcement to be heard throughout all Judah—none was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building. And King Asa built with them (AI)Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23 (AJ)Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and 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 in the time of 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 (AK)Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab Reigns over Israel

25 Now (AL)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 what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and (AM)walked in the way of his father and (AN)in his sin which he made Israel sin. 27 Then (AO)Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at (AP)Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

28 So Baasha put him to death in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became king in his place. 29 Now it happened that as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone who drew breath, until he had destroyed them, (AQ)according to the word of Yahweh, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30 and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and (AR)which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger.

31 (AS)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 (AT)Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Baasha Reigns over Israel

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years. 34 And he did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and (AU)walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 15:2 In 2 Chr 13:2, Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel
  2. 1 Kings 15:2 In 2 Chr 11:20, Absalom
  3. 1 Kings 15:3 Lit complete with
  4. 1 Kings 15:13 Lit Also Maacah his mother and he removed her
  5. 1 Kings 15:13 Or as an Asherah
  6. 1 Kings 15:14 Lit complete with
  7. 1 Kings 15:19 Lit me and you

The Reign of Abijam in Judah

15 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 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. 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; 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.

There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 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. 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

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. 1 Kings 15:8 Or “fathers”
  2. 1 Kings 15:11 Or “father”
  3. 1 Kings 15:12 Or “fathers”
  4. 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
  5. 1 Kings 15:17 Literally “to not give going and coming to Asa”
  6. 1 Kings 15:23 Literally “he became ill in his feet”
  7. 1 Kings 15:24 Or “fathers”
  8. 1 Kings 15:24 Or “fathers”
  9. 1 Kings 15:24 Or “father”