1 Kings 15

1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.

2He reigned three years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

3He walked in all the sins of his father that he had committed before him, and his heart was not wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, like the heart of David his father.

4Nevertheless, for David’s sake Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem.

5because David had done what was right in the eyes of Yahweh and had not turned aside from anything that he had commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

6And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

7The 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? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

8And Abijam lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. Then Asa his son became king in his place.

9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah.

10He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

11Asa did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, as David his father had done.

12He removed the male cult prostitutes from the land, and he took away all the idols that his fathers had made.

13He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

14But the high places were not removed; nevertheless, Asa’s heart was wholly devoted to Yahweh all his days.

15And he brought into the house of Yahweh the holy things of his father and his own holy things, silver and gold and vessels.

16And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

17Then Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, so as not to allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and put them into the hand of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,

19There is a covenant between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you a bribe of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, so that he may withdraw from me.

20Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies that were his against the cities of Israel, and he struck Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, against all the land of Naphtali.

21And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and remained in Tirzah.

22Then King Asa summoned all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had built, and King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built—are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? Yet in the time of his old age he became diseased in his feet.

24And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

25Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

26He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and walked in the way of his father and in his sin with which he caused Israel to sin.

27Then Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon.

28Baasha put him to death in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.

29And when he became king, he struck down all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam a single living thing, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of Yahweh that he had spoken by the hand of his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.

30because of the sins of Jeroboam that he committed and by which he caused Israel to sin, and because of his provocation by which he provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel.

31The 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?

32And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years.

34He did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin by which he caused Israel to sin.