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the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah. He built Ramah to prevent in order to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
2 So Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the House of the Lord and the king’s palace, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.”
4 Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maimm, and all the store-cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha heard about it, he left off building Ramah and abandoned his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been building with. Then he built Geba and Mizpah with them.
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the Lord range to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. In this you have done foolishly; from now on, you will have wars.”
10 Asa was angry with the seer and he put him in prison because of this. At that time, Asa also brutally afflicted some of the people.
11 The events of Asa, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a disease in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but only the physicians. 13 Then Asa died in the forty-first year of his reign, and he slept with his fathers. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was filled with spices and blended perfumes; and they made a great fire in his honour.