1 Kings 15
15
Abijam rules Judah
1Abijam#15.1 Spelled Abijah in 2 Chron 12 became king of Judah in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Nebat’s son. 2He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, and she was Abishalom’s daughter. 3Abijam followed all the sinful ways of his father before him. He didn’t follow the LORD his God with all his heart like his ancestor David. 4Even so, on account of David, the LORD his God gave Abijam a lamp in Jerusalem by supporting his son who succeeded him and by preserving Jerusalem. 5This was because David did the right thing in the LORD’s eyes. David didn’t deviate from anything the LORD commanded him throughout his life—except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam as long as Abijam lived. 7The rest of Abijam’s deeds and all that he did, aren’t they written in the official records of Judah’s kings? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8Abijam lay down with his ancestors; he was buried in David’s City. His son Asa succeeded him as king.
Asa rules Judah
9In the twentieth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Asa became king of Judah. 10He ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years. His grandmother’s#15.10 Or mother; also in 15:13; cf 2 Chron 13:2 name was Maacah; she was Abishalom’s daughter. 11Asa did the right things in the LORD’s eyes, just like his father David. 12He removed the consecrated workers#15.12 Traditionally cultic prostitutes from the land, and he did away with all the worthless idols that his predecessors had made. 13He even removed his grandmother Maacah from the position of queen mother because she had made an image of Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14Though the shrines weren’t eliminated, nevertheless Asa remained committed with all his heart to the LORD throughout his life. 15He brought into the LORD’s temple the silver and gold equipment that he and his father had dedicated. 16There was war between Asa and Israel’s King Baasha throughout their lifetimes. 17Israel’s King Baasha attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent Judah’s King Asa from moving into that area.
18Asa took all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the LORD’s temple and the royal palace, and he gave them to his officials. Then King Asa sent them with the following message to Aram’s King Ben-hadad, Tabrimmon’s son and Hezion’s grandson, who ruled from Damascus: 19“Let’s make a covenant similar to the one between our fathers. Since I have already sent you a gift of silver and gold, break your covenant with Israel’s King Baasha so that he will leave me alone.” 20Ben-hadad agreed with King Asa and sent his army commanders against the cities of Israel, attacking Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, along with all the land of Naphtali. 21As soon as Baasha learned this, he stopped building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah. 22King Asa issued an order to every Judean without exception: all the people carried away the stone and timber that Baasha was using to build Ramah, and King Asa used it to build Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. 23The rest of Asa’s deeds, his strength, and all that he did, as well as the towns that he built, aren’t they written in the official records of Judah’s kings? When he was old, Asa developed a severe foot disease. 24He died and was buried with his ancestors in David’s City.#15.24 Heb adds his father. His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king.
Nadab rules Israel
25Jeroboam’s son Nadab became king of Israel in the second year of Judah’s King Asa. He ruled over Israel for two years. 26He did evil in the LORD’s eyes by walking in the way of his father Jeroboam and the sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. 27Baasha, Ahijah’s son from the house of Issachar, plotted against him and attacked him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. Nadab and all Israel were laying siege against Gibbethon. 28Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Judah’s King Asa and ruled in Nadab’s place.
29When he became king, Baasha attacked the entire house of Jeroboam. He didn’t allow any living person to survive in Jeroboam’s family; he wiped them out according to the LORD’s word spoken by the LORD’s servant Ahijah of Shiloh. 30This happened because of Jeroboam’s sins that he committed and that he caused Israel to commit, and because he angered the LORD, Israel’s God. 31The rest of Nadab’s deeds and all that he did, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? 32There was war between Asa and Israel’s King Baasha throughout their lifetimes.
Baasha rules Israel
33In the third year of Judah’s King Asa, Baasha, Ahijah’s son, became king over all Israel. He ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years. 34He did evil in the LORD’s eyes by walking in Jeroboam’s ways and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.
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1 Kings 15: CEB
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