The First Book of the Kings

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- Kapitel 15 -

(2 Chronicles 13:1–3)

After Jeroboam had been the king of Israel for almost eighteen years, Abijah became the king of Judah.

He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

Abijah committed the same kind of sins that his father had committed. He was not fully dedicated to Yahweh his God, as his ancestor David had been.

But, because of what Yahweh his God had promised to David, Yahweh gave Abijah a son to rule in Jerusalem after him, and in order to protect Jerusalem from their enemies.

Yahweh did that because David had always done what pleased Yahweh and because David had always obeyed Yahweh. The only time when he disobeyed Yahweh was when he caused Uriah to be killed due to his sin with Bathsheba.

There were wars between the armies of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all during the time that Abijah ruled.

Everything else that Abijah did is written in the book of the events of the Kings of Judah.

Abijah died and was buried in the part of Jerusalem called the city of David, and his son Asa became king.

Asa Reigns in Judah

(2 Chronicles 14:1–15; 2 Chronicles 15:8–19)

After Jeroboam had been the king of Israel for almost twenty years, Asa started to rule Judah.

He ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years. His grandmother was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

Asa did what was pleasing to Yahweh, as his ancestor David had done.

He got rid of the male prostitutes who were at the places where the people worshiped idols, and he also got rid of all the idols that his ancestors had made.

He also removed his grandmother Maacah so that she no longer had influence in the government because of being the mother of a previous king. He did that because she had made a disgusting wooden statue of the goddess Asherah. Asa told his workers to cut down the statue and burn it in the Kidron Valley.

He was not able to destroy all the places where the people worshiped Yahweh, but he continued to be dedicated to Yahweh all during the time that he lived.

He told his workers to place in the temple all the items that his father had dedicated to God, and all the gold and silver things that he had dedicated to God.

War between Asa and Baasha

(2 Chronicles 16:1–6)

There were wars between the armies of Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel, all during the time that they ruled.

Baasha’s army invaded Judah. They captured the city of Ramah north of Jerusalem. Then they started to build a wall around it in order to prevent people from entering or leaving the area in Judah that King Asa ruled.

So Asa told his workers to take all the silver and gold that was still in the storerooms in the temple and in the palace and gave it to some of his officials. He told them to take it to Damascus and give it to King Ben Hadad who ruled Aram. Ben Hadad was son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion. He told the officials to say this to Ben Hadad:

“I want there to be a peace treaty between me and you, like there was between my father and your father. For that purpose, I am giving you this silver and gold. So now please cancel the treaty that you made with Baasha, the king of Israel, in order that he will take his soldiers away from attacking mine, because he will be afraid of your army.”

So the officials went and gave the message to Ben Hadad, and he did what Asa suggested. He sent his army commanders and their soldiers to attack some of the towns in Israel. They captured Ijon, Dan, Abel of Beth Maacah, the area near the Sea of Galilee, and all the land of the tribe of Naphtali.

When Baasha heard about that, he told his soldiers to stop working at Ramah. He and his soldiers returned to Tirzah and stayed there.

Then King Asa sent a message to all the people in the towns in Judah, stating that they all were required to go to Ramah and carry away the stones and timber that Baasha’s soldiers had been using to build a wall around the city. With those stones and timber they fortified the city of Mizpah north of Jerusalem, and Geba, a town in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

(2 Chronicles 17:1–19)

Everything else that Asa did, the armies that his soldiers defeated, and the names of the cities that he caused to be fortified, are all written in the book of the events of the Kings of Judah. But when Asa became old, he got a disease in his feet.

He died and was buried where his ancestors were buried in the part of Jerusalem called the city of David. Then his son Jehoshaphat became king.

Nadab Reigns in Israel

After Asa had been the king of Judah for almost two years, King Jeroboam’s son Nadab started to rule Israel. He ruled for two years.

He did many things that Yahweh said were evil. His behavior was sinful like his father’s behavior had been, and what he did induced the people of Israel to sin.

A man named Baasha, from the tribe of Issachar, planned to harm him. He killed Nadab when Nadab and his army had surrounded the city of Gibbethon in the region of Philistia.

That was when Asa had been the king ruling Judah for almost three years. Then Baasha became the king of Israel.

As soon as he became king, he commanded his soldiers to kill all of Jeroboam’s family. Doing what Yahweh had told the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh would happen, they killed all of Jeroboam’s family. None of them were left.

That happened because Yahweh had become very angry with Jeroboam because of all the sins that Jeroboam had committed, and because of the sins that he had persuaded the people of Israel to commit.

Everything else that Nadab did is written in Book of the Events of the Kings of Israel.

There were wars between the armies of King Asa and King Baasha all the time that they ruled.

Baasha Reigns in Israel

After Asa had been the king of Judah for almost three years, Baasha son of Ahijah, started to rule Israel at the city of Tirzah. He ruled for twenty-four years.

Baasha did many things that Yahweh said were evil, and he lived a sinful life just like Jeroboam lived. Baasha’s sinful life set an example for the people of Israel that encouraged them to commit sins that were like his sins.

(2 Chronicles 13:1–3)

Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

Nevertheless for David’s sake, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem;

because David did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, and didn’t turn away from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

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

The rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in David’s city; and Asa his son reigned in his place.

Asa Reigns in Judah

(2 Chronicles 14:1–15; 2 Chronicles 15:8–19)

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.

He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

Asa did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, as David his father did.

He put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

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

But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with the LORD all his days.

He brought into the LORD’s house the things that his father had dedicated, and the things that he himself had dedicated: silver, gold, and utensils.

War between Asa and Baasha

(2 Chronicles 16:1–6)

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that was left in the treasures of the LORD’s house, and the treasures of the king’s house, and delivered it into the hand of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben Hadad, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,

“Let there be a treaty between me and you, like that between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.”

Ben Hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel Beth Maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

When Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and lived in Tirzah.

Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah. No one was exempted. They carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built; and King Asa used it to build Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

(2 Chronicles 17:1–19)

Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab Reigns in Israel

Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years.

He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.

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

Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha killed him and reigned in his place.

As soon as he was king, he struck all the house of Jeroboam. He didn’t leave to Jeroboam any who breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite;

for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and with which he made Israel to sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.

Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Baasha Reigns in Israel

In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel in Tirzah for twenty-four years.

He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.