2 Chronicles 16

1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah, so as not to allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

2Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and of the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,

3There is a treaty between me and you, and between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he may withdraw from me.

4Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store-cities of Naphtali.

5And when Baasha heard it, he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work.

6Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had built, and he built with them Geba and Mizpah.

7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Aram and did not rely on Yahweh your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.”

8Were not the Cushites and the Lubites a very great army, with chariots and horsemen in great abundance? Yet when you relied on Yahweh, he gave them into your hand.

9For the eyes of Yahweh range throughout all the earth to strengthen those whose heart is wholly toward him. You have acted foolishly in this; for from now on you will have wars.

10Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the prison house, because he was in a rage with him over this. And Asa brutally oppressed some of the people at that time.

11Behold, the acts of Asa, the first and the last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet; his disease became very severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek Yahweh, but the physicians.

13And Asa slept with his fathers and died in the forty-first year of his reign.

14They buried him in his tomb, which he had cut out for himself in the City of David, and laid him on the bier that had been filled with spices and various blended ointments prepared by a perfumer’s craft; and they made a very great burning for him.