2 Chronicles 16

1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah to keep anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

2Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and of the royal palace and sent it to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, with this message:

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

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

5When Baasha heard of it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work.

6Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built 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, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.

8Were not the Cushites and the Libyans a huge army, with a great many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on Yahweh, he gave them into your hand.

9For the eyes of Yahweh range throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is fully devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

10Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. At that time Asa also brutally oppressed some of the people.

11The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

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

13Then Asa rested with his ancestors, dying in the forty-first year of his reign.

14They buried him in the tomb he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier filled with spices and various kinds of perfume, expertly blended, and they made a very great fire in his honor.