1 Kings 15:9-24

The Reign of Asa

⁹ And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned hath Asa over Judah, ¹⁰ and forty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother 'is' Maachah daughter of Abishalom. ¹¹ And Asa doth that which 'is' right in the eyes of Jehovah, like David his father, ¹² and removeth the whoremongers out of the land, and turneth aside all the idols that his fathers made; ¹³ and also Maachah his mother—he turneth her aside from being mistress, in that she made a horrible thing for a shrine, and Asa cutteth down her horrible thing, and burneth 'it' by the brook Kidron; ¹⁴ and the high places have not turned aside; only, the heart of Asa hath been perfect with Jehovah all his days, ¹⁵ and he bringeth in the sanctified things of his father, and his own sanctified things, to the house of Jehovah, silver, and gold, and vessels.

Asa's League with Ben-hadad

¹⁶ And war hath been between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days, ¹⁷ and Baasha king of Israel goeth up against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, not to permit any one going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah. ¹⁸ And Asa taketh all the silver and the gold that are left in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the house of the king, and giveth them into the hand of his servants, and king Asa sendeth them unto Ben-Hadad, son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion king of Aram, who is dwelling in Damascus, saying, ¹⁹ 'A covenant 'is' between me and thee, between my father and thy father; lo, I have sent to thee a reward of silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he goeth up from off me.' ²⁰ And Ben-Hadad hearkeneth unto king Asa, and sendeth the heads of the forces that he hath against cities of Israel, and smiteth Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and all Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali; ²¹ and it cometh to pass at Baasha's hearing, that he ceaseth from building Ramah, and dwelleth in Tirzah. ²² And king Asa hath summoned all Judah—there is none exempt—and they lift up the stones of Ramah, and its wood, that Baasha hath built, and king Asa buildeth with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah. ²³ And the rest of all the matters of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? Only, at the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet; ²⁴ and Asa lieth with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigneth in his stead.