1Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat began Abijam to reign over Judah . 2Three years reigned he in Jerusalem : and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 3And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him ; and his heart was not perfect with Jehovah his God , as the heart of David his father. 4Nevertheless for David ’s sake did Jehovah his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem , to set up his son after him , and to establish Jerusalem ; 5because David did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah , and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life , save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite . 6Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life . 7And the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did , are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah ? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam . 8And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David : and Asa his son reigned in his stead .
The Reign of Asa
9And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Asa to reign over Judah . 10And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem : and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah , as did David his father. 12And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made . 13And also Maacah his mother he removed from being queen , because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; and Asa cut down her image , and burnt it at the brook Kidron . 14But the high places were not taken away : nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Jehovah all his days . 15And he brought into the house of Jehovah the things that his father had dedicated , and the things that himself had dedicated , silver , and gold , and vessels .
Conflict with Israel
16And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days . 17And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah , and built Ramah , that he might not suffer any one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah . 18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of Jehovah , and the treasures of the king ’s house , and delivered them into the hand of his servants ; and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad , the son of Tabrimmon , the son of Hezion , king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus , saying, 19There is a league between me and thee , between my father and thy father: behold , I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold ; go , break thy league with Baasha king of Israel , that he may depart from me . 20And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel , and smote Ijon , and Dan , and Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth , with all the land of Naphtali . 21And it came to pass , when Baasha heard thereof , that he left off building Ramah , and dwelt in Tirzah . 22Then king Asa made a proclamation unto all Judah ; none was exempted : and they carried away the stones of Ramah , and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded ; and king Asa built therewith Geba of Benjamin , and Mizpah .
The End of Asa's Reign
23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might , and all that he did , and the cities which he built , are they not 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 . 24And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father ; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead . 25And 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 . 26And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah , and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin . 27And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar , conspired against him ; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon , which belonged to the Philistines ; for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon . 28Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him , and reigned in his stead . 29And it came to pass that , as soon as he was king , he smote all the house of Jeroboam : he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed , until he had destroyed him ; according unto the saying of Jehovah , which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite ; 30for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned , and wherewith he made Israel to sin , because of his provocation wherewith he provoked Jehovah , the God of Israel , to anger . 31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab , and all that he did , are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel ? 32And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days . 33In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah , and reigned twenty and four years . 34And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah , and walked in the way of Jeroboam , and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin .