¹⁷ But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was true all his days.

⁷ At that time the seer Hanani came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Aram and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped you.^{(A) 8} Were not the Cushites and the Libyans a huge army with exceedingly many chariots and cavalry? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand.^{(B) 9} For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire earth to strengthen those whose heart is true to him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”^{(C) 10} Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks, in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties on some of the people at the same time.

Asa’s Disease and Death

¹¹ The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.^{(D) 12} In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe; yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord but sought help from physicians.^(E)

³ He took away the foreign altars and the high places, broke down the pillars, cut down the sacred poles,^{[a](A) 4} and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to keep the law and the commandment. ⁵ He also removed from all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom was quiet under him.^(B)

⁴ But the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.^(A)

³ Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.^(A)

⁴³ He walked in all the way of his father Asa; he did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places.^(A)

⁴ For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.^(A)

² The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.^(A)

³ Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places.^{(B) 4} The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.^(C)

A Prescribed Place of Worship

¹³ “Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place you happen to see. ¹⁴ But only at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes—there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do everything I command you.^(A)