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the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam son of Nebat of Israel, Abijam became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
3 Abijah committed all the sins his father had done before him, for his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God like his forefather David had been. 4 Nevertheless for the sake of David the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by raising up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and he did not turn aside from anything the Lord had commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6 The war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued all the days of Abijah’s life. 7 The rest of the events of Abijam’s reign, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 Abijam slept with his fathers; and he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became king in his place.
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king over Judah, 10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. 12 He banished the male cult prostitutes from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her disgusting pole image and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although the high places were not removed, however Asa’s heart was devoted to the Lord all his days. 15 He brought into the House of the Lord his father’s consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts of silver, gold, and utensils.
16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and he fortified Ramah so he could prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of King Asa of Judah.
18 So Asa then took all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the House of the Lord and the treasuries of the royal palace, and he entrusted them to his officials. Then King Asa sent them to the king of Aram, Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, who resided in Damascus, with this message:
19 “Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
20 Ben-hadad agreed to the request of King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, as well as all of the land of Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard about this, he stopped building Ramah and remained in Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa gave a command to everyone in Judah, and no one was exempt. They carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with, and King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah with them.
23 As for the all the other events of Asa’s reign, his power, all his achievements, and the cities he built, are they not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he became diseased in his feet. 24 Then Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. His son Jehoshaphat became king in his place.
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 Nadab did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the ways of his father,and in the sins that he caused Israel to commit.
27 Then Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. 28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and became king in his place.
29 When Baasha became king, he struck down all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone who breathed, but he destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 This was because of the sins that Jeroboam had committed and which he had caused Israel to commit, and because of the provocation that he had provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger with.
31 The other events of the reign of Nadab and all his achievements, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel? 32 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.