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15
1 Abijam became king of Judah in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, son of Nebat. 2 He reigned in Jerusalem for three years. His mother's name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom.
3 Abijam committed all the sins his father had before him. He was not wholly dedicated to the Lord his God as his forefather David had been. 4 Even so, for David's sake, the Lord his God let his descendants continue to rule like a lamp,*See 11:36. a son to rule after him and to make Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the Lord's sight, and had not deviated from anything the Lord commanded throughout his lifetime, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
6 (Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always at war with each other.)†This verse appears to be repeated from 14:30 and does not fit here in the description of Abijam. In the following verse it indicates that Abijam and Jeroboam were also always at war. Perhaps for this reason this verse is omitted from some manuscripts of the Septuagint. 7 The rest of what happened in Abijam's reign and everything that he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. Abijam and Jeroboam were always at war with each other. 8 Abijam died and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king.
9 Asa became king of Judah in the twentieth year of the reign of Jeroboam, king of Israel. 10 He reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah, daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the Lord's sight, as his forefather David had done. 12 He expelled the cult prostitutes from the land and got rid of all of the idols that his forefathers had made. 13 He even dismissed his grandmother Maacah as queen mother, because she had made a disgusting idol. Asa had the idol chopped down and burned in the Kidron Valley. 14 Though the high places were not removed, Asa was completely committed to the Lord all his life. 15 He brought into the house of the Lord the silver and gold and the other items that he and his father had dedicated.
16 Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, were always at war with each other. 17 Baasha, king of Israel, attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to stop people coming from or going to Asa, king of Judah.‡Because some of those in Baasha's kingdom realized that Asa was following the true God, they wished to go over to him (see 2 Chronicles 15:9).
18 So Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord's Temple and of the royal palace. He handed it over to his servants and sent them to Ben-hadad, son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, along with this message: 19 “Let us make a treaty between us, just as there was between my father and your father. Look, I've sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha, king of Israel, so that he will retreat and leave me alone.”
20 Ben-hadad accepted Asa's proposal and sent his army with its commanders to attack the towns of Israel. They captured the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, including all the land of Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard about this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and retreated to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa issued a proclamation throughout all Judah, with no exception. The people obeyed, and carried away the stones and the timbers Baasha had used for building up Ramah. King Asa used these building materials to strengthen Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah.
23 The rest of what happened in Asa's reign, all his achievements, everything that he did, and the towns he built, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. But when he grew old he had disease in his feet.§This aspect was associated with problems in Asa's later life—see 2 Chronicles 16. 24 Asa died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king.
25 Nadab, son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of the reign of King Asa of Judah. He reigned in Israel for two years. 26 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight. He followed the ways of his father and committed the same sins his father had made Israel commit.
27 Baasha, son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar, plotted a rebellion against him. Baasha murdered Nadab at the Philistine town of Gibbethon while Nadab and the whole Israelite army were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab and took over as king in the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah.
29 As soon as he became king he killed all the rest of Jeroboam's family. He did not leave any of Jeroboam's descendants alive—he destroyed them all, as the Lord had said through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 This happened because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had made Israel commit, and because he had made the Lord, the God of Israel, angry.
31 The rest of what happened in Nadab's reign and everything that he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
32 Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, were always at war with each other. 33 Baasha, son of Ahijah, became king over all of Israel in the third year of the reign of King Asa in Judah. Baasha reigned in Tirzah for twenty-four years. 34 Baasha did what was evil in the Lord's sight and followed the way of Jeroboam and his sin, which he had made Israel commit.

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*15:4 See 11:36.

†15:6 This verse appears to be repeated from 14:30 and does not fit here in the description of Abijam. In the following verse it indicates that Abijam and Jeroboam were also always at war. Perhaps for this reason this verse is omitted from some manuscripts of the Septuagint.

‡15:17 Because some of those in Baasha's kingdom realized that Asa was following the true God, they wished to go over to him (see 2 Chronicles 15:9).

§15:23 This aspect was associated with problems in Asa's later life—see 2 Chronicles 16.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher