Chronological
15 Now in the eighteenth year of Melech Yarov‘am Ben Nevat reigned Aviyam over Yehudah.
2 Shalosh shanim reigned he in Yerushalayim. And shem immo was Ma’achah Bat Avishalom.
3 And he walked in all the chattot Aviv, which he had done before him; and his lev was not shalem (fully devoted) to Hashem Elohav, as the levav Dovid Aviv.
4 Nevertheless l’ma’an Dovid (for the sake of Dovid) did Hashem Elohav give him a ner (lamp) in Yerushalayim, to raise up Bno after him, and to establish Yerushalayim;
5 Because Dovid did that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem, and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriyah HaChitti (the Hittite).
6 And there was milchamah between Rechav‘am and Yarov‘am all the days of his life.
7 Now the rest of the acts of Aviyam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Sefer Divrei HaYamim L’Malkhei Yehudah? And there was milchamah between Aviyam and Yarov‘am.
8 And Aviyam slept with his avot; and they buried him in Ir Dovid; and Asa Bno reigned in his place.
9 And in the twentieth year of Yarov‘am Melech Yisroel, Asa began to reign as Melech over Yehudah.
10 And forty and one years reigned he in Yerushalayim. And shem immo was Ma’achah Bat Avishalom.
11 And Asa did that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem, as did Dovid Aviv.
12 And he removed kedeshim (the male and female cult prostitutes) out of HaAretz, and got rid of kol hagillulim (all the idols) that his avot had made.
13 And also Ma’achah immo, even her he deposed from being Gevirah (Queen Mother), because she had made a mifletzet (idol) to Asherah; and Asa cut down her mifletzet, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
14 But the high places were not removed; nevertheless levav Asa was shalem with Hashem all his days.
15 And he brought in the kodshei Aviv (the things his father had dedicated), and the things which he himself had dedicated, into the Beis Hashem, kesef, and zahav, and kelim.
16 And there was milchamah between Asa and Ba’asha Melech Yisroel all their days.
17 And Ba’asha Melech Yisroel went up against Yehudah, and built up Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa Melech Yehudah.
18 Then Asa took all the kesef and the zahav that were left in the otzarot of the Beis Hashem, and the otzarot of the Bais HaMelech, and delivered them into the yad of his avadim; and HaMelech Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad, Ben Tavrimmon Ben Chezron Melech Aram, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
19 There is a brit between me and thee, and between Avi and Avicha; hinei, I send unto thee a shochad (incentive kind of gift) of kesef and zahav; come, break thy brit with Ba’asha Melech Yisroel, that he may withdraw from me.
20 So Ben-Hadad paid heed unto HaMelech Asa, and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Yisroel, and struck Iyon, and Dan, and Abel Beit- Ma’achah, and kol Kinnerot, with Kol Eretz Naphtali.
21 And it came to pass, when Ba’asha heard this, he stopped building Ramah, and stayed in Tirtzah.
22 Then HaMelech Asa made a proclamation throughout all Yehudah; none was exempted; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Ba’asha had built; and HaMelech Asa built up with them Geva of Binyamin, and Mitzpah.
23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his gevurah, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Sefer Divrei HaYamim L’Malkhei Yehudah? Nevertheless in the time of his ziknah (old age) he was diseased in his raglayim.
24 And Asa slept with his avot, and was buried with his avot in Ir Dovid Aviv; and Yehoshaphat Bno reigned in his place.
13 Now in the eighteenth year of Melech Yarov’am began Aviyah to reign over Yehudah.
2 He reigned 3 shanim in Yerushalayim. And the shem immo was Michayah bat Uriel of Giveah. And there was milchamah between Aviyah and Yarov’am.
3 And Aviyah led the milchamah with an army of gibborei milchamah, even 400 elef ish bachur. Yarov’am also drew up for milchamah against him with 800 elef ish bachur, gibbor chayil.
4 And Aviyah stood up upon Mt Tzemarayim, which is in the hill country of Ephrayim, and said, Hear me, thou Yarov’am, and kol Yisroel.
5 Ought ye not to know that Hashem Elohei Yisroel gave the Mamlachah over Yisroel to Dovid l’olam (forever), even to him and to his banim by a Brit Melach [see Num 18:19]?
6 Yet Yarov’am ben Nevat eved Sh’lomo ben Dovid is risen up, and hath rebelled against Adonav.
7 And there are gathered unto him anashim rekim, the Bnei Beliyaal, and have strengthened themselves against Rechav’am ben Sh’lomo, when Rechav’am was na’ar and rakh levav (fainthearted), and could not withstand them.
8 And now ye think to withstand the Mamlechet Hashem in the yad Bnei Dovid; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you eglei zahav, which Yarov’am made you for elohim.
9 Have ye not cast out the Kohanim of Hashem, the Bnei Aharon, and the Levi’im, and have made you kohanim after the manner of the peoples of other lands? So whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bull and 7 rams, the same may be a kohen of them that are no elohim.
10 But as for us, Hashem is Eloheinu, and we have not forsaken Him, and the Kohanim, mesharetim unto Hashem, are the Bnei Aharon, and the Levi’im do their work;
11 And they burn unto Hashem baboker baboker and baerev baerev olot and ketoret sammim; the array of lechem is also set in order upon the shulchan hatahor; and the menorah hazahav with the nerot thereof is lit erev ba’erev, for we are the Shomrim of the Mishmeret Hashem Eloheinu; but ye have forsaken Him.
12 And, hinei, HaElohim Himself is with us as Rosh, and His Kohanim have their chatzotzerot to sound the alarm against you. O Bnei Yisroel, fight ye not against Hashem Elohei Avoteichem; for ye shall not prosper.
13 But Yarov’am caused a ma’arav to come about behind them so that they were before Yehudah, and the ma’arav was behind them.
14 And when Yehudah turned, hinei, the milchamah was before and behind, and they cried unto Hashem, and the Kohanim sounded the battle trumpets.
15 Then the Ish Yehudah gave a shout, and as the Ish Yehudah shouted, it came to pass, that HaElohim routed Yarov’am and kol Yisroel before Aviyah and Yehudah.
16 And the Bnei Yisroel fled before Yehudah, and Elohim delivered them into their yad.
17 And Aviyah and his army slaughtered them with a makkah rabbah (great slaughter); so there fell down slain of Yisroel five hundred thousand ish bachur.
18 Thus the Bnei Yisroel were subdued at that time, and the Bnei Yehudah prevailed, because they relied upon Hashem Elohei Avoteihem.
19 And Aviyah pursued after Yarov’am, and took cities from him: Beit-El with the towns thereof, and Yeshanah with the villages thereof, and Ephrayim with the villages thereof.
20 Neither did Yarov’am recover ko’ach again in the days of Aviyah; and Hashem struck him, and he died.
21 But Aviyah grew strong, and married fourteen nashim, and fathered twenty and two banim, and sixteen banot.
22 And the rest of the acts of Aviyah, and his deeds, and his words, are written in the Midrash HaNavi Iddo.
14 (13:23) So Aviyah slept with Avotav, and they buried him in Ir Dovid, and Asa bno reigned in his place. In his days HaAretz was at peace eser shanim.
2 (14:1) And Asa did that which was hatov and yashar in the eyes of Hashem Elohav;
3 (14:2) For he took away the mizbechot hanekhar (foreign altars), and the high places, and smashed the matzevot, and cut down the Asherim;
4 (14:3) And commanded Yehudah to seek Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, and to observe the Torah and the Mitzvah.
5 (14:4) Also he took away out of all the towns of Yehudah the high places and the chammanim (sun-pillar idols); and the mamlachah was at peace under him.
6 (14:5) And he built arei metzurah in Yehudah; for HaAretz was at peace, and he had no milchanah in those years, because Hashem had given him rest.
7 (14:6) Therefore he said unto Yehudah, Let us build up these cities, and make about them chomah, and migdalim, gates, and bars. HaAretz is yet before us, because we have sought Hashem Eloheinu, we have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.
8 (14:7) And Asa had an army of men that bore shields and spears, out of Yehudah three hundred thousand; and out of Binyamin, that bore mogen and drew keshet (bow), two hundred and fourscore elef; all these were gibborei chayil.
9 (14:8) And there came out against them Zerach HaCushi with a host of elef alafim, and three hundred merkavot; and came as far as Mareshah.
10 (14:9) Then Asa went out against him, and they took up position for the milchamah in the valley of Zephatah at Mareshah.
11 (14:10) And Asa cried unto Hashem Elohav, and said, Hashem, there is none besides Thee to help, whether with rav, or with them that have no ko’ach. Help us, Hashem Eloheinu, for we rely on Thee; in Shimecha we go against this multitude. Hashem Thou art Eloheinu; let no enosh prevail against Thee.
12 (14:11) So Hashem struck down HaCushim before Asa, and before Yehudah, and HaCushim fled.
13 (14:12) And Asa and HaAm that were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and HaCushim fell, until they could not survive, for they were crushed before Hashem, and before His Machaneh. They carried off very much plunder.
14 (14:13) And they destroyed all the towns around Gerar; for the Pachad Hashem fell upon them, and they plundered all the towns, for there was exceeding much booty in them.
15 (14:14) They attacked also the ohalim of herdsmen, and carried off tzon and gemalim in abundance, and returned to Yerushalayim.
15 And the Ruach Elohim came upon Azaryahu ben Oded;
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and kol Yehudah and Binyamin. Hashem is with you, while ye be with Him; if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.
3 Now for yamim rabbim Yisroel hath been without the Elohei Emes, and without a Kohen Moreh, and without Torah.
4 But when they in their tzoros did turn unto Hashem Elohei Yisroel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
5 And in those times there was no shalom to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but mehumot rabbot (great turmoil) was upon all the inhabitants of the lands.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city, for Elohim did trouble them with every tzuris.
7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak, for there is sachar (reward) for your pe’ulah (work).
8 And when Asa heard these words, and the nevu’ah of Oded HaNavi, he took courage, and put away the shikkutzim (abominable idols) from kol Eretz Yehudah and Binyamin, and from the cities which he had captured from Mt Ephrayim, and renewed the Mizbe’ach Hashem, that was in front of the Ulam Hashem.
9 And he gathered all Yehudah and Binyamin, and the gerim with them from Ephrayim and Menasheh, and from Shim’on, for they fell to him from Yisroel in abundance, when they saw that Hashem Elohav was with him.
10 So they gathered themselves together at Yerushalayim in the chodesh hashelishi, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 And they offered unto Hashem on that day, of the plunder which they had brought back, 700 bakar and 7000 tzon.
12 And they entered into the Brit to seek Hashem Elohei Avoteihem with all their lev and with all their nefesh;
13 That whosoever would not seek Hashem Elohei Yisroel should be put to death, whether katan or gadol, whether ish or isha.
14 And they swore unto Hashem with a kol gadol, and with teruah, and with trumpets, and with shoferot.
15 And all Yehudah rejoiced at the shevu’ah, for they had sworn with all their lev, and sought Him with their whole ratzon; and He was found by them; and Hashem gave them rest all around.
16 And also concerning Ma’achah em Asa HaMelech, he deposed her from being gevirah, because she had made to Asherah a mifletzet, and Asa cut down her mifletzet, and ground it up, and burned it at the Wadi Kidron.
17 But the high places were not removed from Yisroel; nevertheless the levav Asa was shalem all his days.
18 And he brought into the Beis HaElohim the things that Aviv had dedicated as kodesh, and that he himself had dedicated as kodesh, kesef, and zahav, and kelim.
19 And there was no more milchamah unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.
16 In the six and thirtieth year Malchut Asa (of the reign of Asa) Ba’asha Melech Yisroel went up against Yehudah, and fortified Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to the territory of Asa Melech Yehudah.
2 Then Asa brought out kesef and zahav out of the otzarot of the Beis Hashem and of the Bais HaMelech, and sent to Ben-Hadad Melech Aram (Syria), the one ruling in Damascus, saying,
3 There is a brit between me and thee, as there was between Avi and Avicha. Hinei, I have sent thee kesef and zahav; come, break thy brit with Ba’asha Melech Yisroel, that he may withdraw from me.
4 And Ben-Hadad paid heed unto HaMelech Asa, and sent the officers of his forces against the cities of Yisroel, and they struck down Iyon, and Dan, and Abel Mayim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
5 And it came to pass, when Ba’asha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.
6 Then Asa HaMelech took all Yehudah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Ba’asha was building; and he built therewith Geva and Mitzpah.
7 And at that time Chanani HaRo’eh came to Asa Melech Yehudah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on Melech Aram, and not relied on Hashem Eloheicha, therefore is the army of Melech Aram escaped out of thine yad.
8 Were not the Cushim and the Luvim a huge army, with very many chariots and parashim? Yet, because thou didst rely on Hashem, He delivered them into thine yad.
9 For the eyes of Hashem run to and fro kol HaAretz, to strengthen them whose lev is shalem (wholehearted) toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly; therefore from henceforth thou shalt have milchamot.
10 Then Asa was wroth with the ro’eh, put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of HaAm at the same time.
11 And, hinei, the acts of Asa, harishonim and ha’acharonim, see, they are written in the Sefer HaMelachim Yehudah and Yisroel.
12 And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his malchut (reign) became diseased in his raglayim, until his disease was exceedingly great. Yet even in his disease he sought not Hashem, but only the rofe’im.
13 And Asa slept with his Avotav, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.
14 And they buried him in his own kever (sepulchre, burial cave), which he had cut for himself in Ir Dovid, and laid him on a mishkav (bed) which was filled with sweet spices and perfumes prepared by the apothecaries art; and they burned for him a very large serefah gedolah (great fire, pyre).
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