1 Kings 15

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

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

3He walked in all the sins that his father had committed before him, and his heart was not fully devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of his ancestor David had been.

4Nevertheless, for David’s sake Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him and by making Jerusalem secure.

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

6There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam as long as he lived.

7As for the rest of the deeds of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

8Abijam rested with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place.

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

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

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

12He expelled the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols his ancestors had made.

13He even removed his mother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

14Although the high places were not removed, Asa’s heart was fully devoted to Yahweh all his days.

15He brought into the house of Yahweh the things his father had dedicated and the things he himself had dedicated—silver, gold, and articles.

16There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

17Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to keep anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

18Then Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and the treasuries of the king’s palace and handed it over to his officials. King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, with this message:

19“Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. I am sending you a payment of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

20Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He struck Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinnereth, along with all the land of Naphtali.

21When Baasha heard of it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.

22Then King Asa issued a proclamation to all Judah, with no one exempt, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah that Baasha had been building with. With them King Asa fortified Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah.

23As for the rest of all the deeds of Asa, all his might, all that he did, and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in his old age he had a disease in his feet.

24Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoshaphat became king 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, which he had caused Israel to commit.

27Baasha 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 killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became king in his place.

29As soon as he became king, he struck down the whole house of Jeroboam. He did not leave Jeroboam a single living soul until he had destroyed them, according to the word of Yahweh that he had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.

30This happened because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and which he caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger.

31As for the rest of the deeds of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

32There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

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 sight of Yahweh and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.