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16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.[a] Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: “I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made.[b] See, I have sent you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.”[c] Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel.[d] They conquered[e] Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim,[f] and all the storage cities of Naphtali. When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying[g] Ramah and abandoned the project.[h] King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah.[i] He used the materials to build up[j] Geba and Mizpah.

At that time Hanani the prophet[k] visited King Asa of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Did not the Cushites and Libyans have a huge army with chariots and a very large number of horsemen? But when you relied on the Lord, he handed them over to you! Certainly[l] the Lord watches the whole earth carefully[m] and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him.[n] You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.” 10 Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail.[o] Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 16:1 tn Heb “and he built up Ramah so as to not permit going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 16:3 tn Heb “[May there be] a covenant between me and you [as there was] between my father and your father.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 16:3 tn Heb “so he will go up from upon me.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 16:4 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies which belonged to him against the cities of Israel.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 16:4 tn Heb “They struck down.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 16:4 sn In the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 15:20, this city’s name appears as Abel Beth Maacah. These appear to be variant names for the same place.
  7. 2 Chronicles 16:5 tn Heb “building.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 16:5 tn Heb “and he caused his work to cease.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 16:6 tn Heb “and King Asa took all Judah and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its wood which Baasha had built.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 16:6 tn Heb “and he built with them.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 16:7 tn Heb “the seer.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tn Or “for.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tn Heb “the eyes of the Lord move quickly through all the earth.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tn Heb “to strengthen himself with their heart, [the one] complete toward him.”
  15. 2 Chronicles 16:10 tn Heb “and Asa was angry at the seer, and he put him [in] the house of stocks, because of his rage with him over this.”

Asa’s Last Years(A)

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s ·rule [reign], Baasha king of Israel ·attacked [invaded] Judah. He ·made the town of Ramah strong [fortified Ramah] so he could keep people from leaving or entering Judah, Asa’s ·country [territory].

Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and out of his own ·palace [L house]. Then he sent it with ·messengers [this message] to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus. Asa said, “Let there be a ·treaty [alliance] between you and me as there was between my father and your father. I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will ·leave [withdraw from] my land.”

Ben-Hadad ·agreed with [L listened to] King Asa and sent the ·commanders [officers] of his armies ·to attack [against] the towns of Israel. They ·defeated the towns of [conquered] Ijon, Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, and all the ·towns in Naphtali where treasures were stored [storage/supply cities of Naphtali]. When Baasha heard about this, he stopped ·building up [fortifying] Ramah and ·left [abandoned; ceased] his work. Then King Asa brought all the people of Judah to Ramah, and they carried away the ·rocks [stones] and ·wood [timber] that Baasha had used. And they used them to ·build up [fortify] Geba and Mizpah.

At that time Hanani the ·seer [prophet] came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “You ·depended on [trusted; relied on] the king of Aram to help you and not on the Lord your God. So the king of Aram’s army escaped from you. ·The Cushites and Libyans had [L Did not the Ethiopians and Lubim have…?] a large and powerful army and many chariots and horsemen. But you ·depended on [trusted; relied on] the Lord to help you, so he handed them over to you. ·The Lord searches [L The eyes of the Lord search] ·all [throughout] the earth for people ·who have given themselves completely to him [whose hearts are completely his/committed to him]. He wants to strengthen them. Asa, you did a foolish thing, so from now on you will have wars.”

10 Asa was angry with Hanani the ·seer [prophet] because of what he had said; he was so ·angry [enraged] that he put Hanani in prison. And Asa ·was cruel to [oppressed] some of the people at the same time.

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