Judah’s King Abijam

1In the eighteenth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah, 2and he reigned three years in Jerusalem.a His mother’s name was Maacahb daughterA of Abishalom.

3Abijam walked in all the sins his father before him had committed,a and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been.b 4But for the sake of David, the Lord his God gave him a lampA in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him and by preserving Jerusalem.a 5For David did what was right in the Lord’s sight, and he did not turn aside from anything he had commanded him all the days of his life,a except in the matter of Uriahb the Hethite.

6There had been war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam’s life.a 7The rest of the events of Abijam’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.a There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam.b 8Abijam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.a His son Asa became king in his place.b

Judah’s King Asa

9In the twentieth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam,a Asa became king of Judah, 10and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’sA name was Maacaha daughter of Abishalom.

11Asa did what was right in the Lord’s sight, as his ancestor David had done.a 12He banished the male cult prostitutesa from the land and removed all of the idols that his ancestors had made.b 13He alsoa removed his grandmotherA Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image and burned itb in the Kidron Valley.c 14The high places were not taken away,a but Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his entire life.b 15He brought his father’s consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into the Lord’s temple: silver, gold, and utensils.a

16There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel throughout their reigns.a 17Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah.a He built Ramahb in order to keep anyone from leaving or coming to King Asa of Judah. 18So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the Lord’s templea and the treasuries of the royal palace and gave it to his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadadb son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Aram who lived in Damascus,c saying, 19“There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father.a Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with King Baasha of Israelb so that he will withdraw from me.”

20Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked Ijon,a Dan,b Abel-beth-maacah,c all Chinnereth,d and the whole land of Naphtali.e 21When Baasha heard about it, he quit building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.a 22Then King Asa gave a command to everyone without exception in Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then King Asa built Gebaa of Benjamin and Mizpahb with them.

23The rest of all the events of Asa’s reign,a along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.b But in his old age he developed a disease in his feet.c 24Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of his ancestor David.a His son Jehoshaphatb became king in his place.

Israel’s King Nadab

25Nadab son of Jeroboama became king over Israel in the second year of Judah’s King Asa; he reigned over Israel two years. 26Nadab did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and walked in the ways of his father and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.a

27Then Baashaa son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethonb of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. 28In the third year of Judah’s King Asa,a Baasha killed Nadabb and reigned in his place.

29When Baasha became king, he struck down the entire house of Jeroboam.a He did not leave Jeroboam any survivors butA destroyed his family according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.b 30This was because Jeroboam had angeredA the Lord God of Israel by the sins he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.a

31The rest of the events of Nadab’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.a 32There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel throughout their reigns.a

Israel’s King Baasha

33In the third year of Judah’s King Asa, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel, and he reigned in Tirzaha twenty-four years. 34He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and walked in the ways of Jeroboam and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.a