2 Chronicles 16
New Living Translation
Final Years of Asa’s Reign
16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah.
2 Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message:
3 “Let there be a treaty[a] between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.”
4 Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah,[b] and all the store cities in Naphtali. 5 As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and stopped all work on it. 6 Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah.
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. 8 Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians[c] and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers?[d] At that time you relied on the Lord, and he handed them over to you. 9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”
10 Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people.
Summary of Asa’s Reign
11 The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the Lord’s help but turned only to his physicians. 13 So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.
Footnotes
- 16:3 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads There is a treaty.
- 16:4 As in parallel text at 1 Kgs 15:20; Hebrew reads Abel-maim, another name for Abel-beth-maacah.
- 16:8a Hebrew Cushites.
- 16:8b Or and horsemen?
2 Chronicles 16
Legacy Standard Bible
Asa Wars Against Baasha
16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign (A)Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “Let there be a covenant between [a]you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 4 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his military forces against the cities of Israel, and they struck down Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all (B)the [b]store cities of Naphtali. 5 Now it happened that when Baasha heard of it, he ceased building up Ramah and stopped his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
Asa Imprisons a Seer
7 Now at that time (C)Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “(D)Because you have leaned on the king of Aram and have not leaned on Yahweh your God, therefore the military force of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. 8 Were not (E)the Ethiopians and the Lubim (F)a vast military force with an exceedingly vast number of chariots and horsemen? Yet (G)because you leaned on Yahweh, He gave them into your hand. 9 For (H)the eyes of Yahweh move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those (I)whose heart is wholly devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” 10 Then Asa was vexed with the seer and put him in [c]prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.
11 (J)Now behold, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And Asa became diseased in his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he (K)did not seek Yahweh, but the physicians. 13 So Asa slept with his fathers. And he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 And they buried him in his own tomb which he had [d]cut out for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the resting place which he had filled (L)with spices of various kinds blended by the perfumers’ art; and (M)they made a very great fire for him.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 16:3 Lit me and you
- 2 Chronicles 16:4 Lit storage places of the cities
- 2 Chronicles 16:10 Lit the house of the stocks
- 2 Chronicles 16:14 Lit dug out
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