Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah,

1Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah.

2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

3And Abijam walked in all the sins that his father before him had committed, and his heart was not as fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his forefather had been.

3And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

4Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong.

4Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem,

5For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

5because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

6And there was war between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Abijam’s life.

6Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

7As for the rest of the acts of Abijam, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

7The 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 rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa reigned in his place.

8And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place.

9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Asa became king of Judah,

9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah,

10and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

10and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

11And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done.

11And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done.

12He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

12He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

13He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

13He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

14The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days.

14But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days.

15And he brought into the house of the LORD the silver and gold and other articles that he and his father had dedicated.

15And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days.

16And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

17Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

17Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

18So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace. He entrusted it to his servants and sent them with this message to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus:

18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,

19“Let there be a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

19“Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”

20And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth.

20And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

21When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.

21And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah.

22Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah.

22Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23Now the rest of the acts of Asa, along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? In his old age, however, he became diseased in his feet.

23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.

24And Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

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 place.

25In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years.

25Nadab 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 evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

26He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.

27Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city.

27Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

28In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha killed Nadab and reigned in his place.

28So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.

29As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

29And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.

30because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger.

30It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel.

31As for the rest of the acts of Nadab, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

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 throughout their days.

32And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years.

33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years.

34And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.

34He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.

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