15Abijam began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign in Israel.H8083H6240H8141H4428H3379H1121H5028H4427H38H30632He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom.H7969H8141H4427H3389H517H8034H4601H1323H533He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had been.H3212H2403H1H6213H6440H3824H8003H3068H430H3824H1732H14But for David's sake, the LORD his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son to rule after him in Jerusalem.H1732H3068H430H5414H5216H3389H6965H1121H310H5975H33895For David had done what was pleasing in the LORD's sight and had obeyed the LORD's commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite.H1732H6213H3477H5869H3068H5493H6680H3117H2416H1697H223H28506There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam throughout Abijam's reign.H4421H7346H3379H3117H24167The rest of the events in Abijam's reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. There was constant war between Abijam and Jeroboam.H3499H1697H38H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3063H4421H38H33798When Abijam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king.H38H7901H1H6912H5892H1732H609H1121H4427
Asa Rules in Judah
9Asa began to rule over Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign in Israel.H6242H8141H3379H4428H3478H4427H609H306310He reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom.H705H259H8141H4427H3389H517H8034H4601H1323H5311Asa did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight, as his ancestor David had done.H609H6213H3477H5869H3068H1732H112He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made.H5674H6945H776H5493H1544H1H621313He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.H4601H517H5493H1377H6213H4656H842H609H3772H4656H8313H5158H693914Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa's heart remained completely faithful to the LORD throughout his life.H1116H5493H609H3824H8003H3068H311715He brought into the Temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated.H935H6944H1H6944H6944H1004H3068H3701H2091H362716There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel.H4421H609H1201H4428H3478H311717King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa's territory in Judah.H1201H4428H3478H5927H3063H1129H7414H5414H3318H935H609H4428H306318Asa responded by removing all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace. He sent it with some of his officials to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message.H609H3947H3701H2091H3498H214H1004H3068H214H4428H1004H5414H3027H5650H4428H609H7971H1130H1121H2886H1121H2383H4428H758H3427H1834H55919"Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone."H1285H1H1H7971H7810H3701H2091H3212H6565H1285H1201H4428H3478H592720Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, and all the land of Naphtali.H1130H8085H4428H609H7971H8269H2428H5892H3478H5221H5859H1835H62H3672H776H532121As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.H1201H8085H2308H1129H7414H3427H865622Then King Asa sent an order throughout Judah, requiring that everyone, without exception, help to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the town of Geba in Benjamin and the town of Mizpah.H4428H609H8085H3063H5355H5375H68H7414H6086H1201H1129H4428H609H1129H1387H1144H470923The rest of the events in Asa's reign—the extent of his power, everything he did, and the names of the cities he built—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. In his old age his feet became diseased.H3499H1697H609H1369H6213H5892H1129H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3063H6256H2209H2470H727224When Asa died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Jehoshaphat, Asa's son, became the next king.H609H7901H1H6912H1H5892H1732H1H3092H1121H4427
Nadab Rules in Israel
25Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King Asa's reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel two years.H5070H1121H3379H4427H3478H8147H8141H609H4428H3063H4427H3478H8147H814126But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.H6213H7451H5869H3068H3212H1870H1H2403H3478H239827Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of Gibbethon.H1201H1121H281H1004H3485H7194H1201H5221H1405H6430H5070H3478H6696H140528Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa's reign in Judah, and he became the next king of Israel.H7969H8141H609H4428H3063H1201H4191H442729He immediately slaughtered all the descendants of King Jeroboam, so that not one of the royal family was left, just as the LORD had promised concerning Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.H4427H5221H1004H3379H7604H3379H5397H8045H1697H3068H1696H3027H5650H281H788830This was done because Jeroboam had provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, by the sins he had committed and the sins he had led Israel to commit.H2403H3379H2398H3478H2398H3708H3068H430H3478H370731The rest of the events in Nadab's reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H5070H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3478
Baasha Rules in Israel
32There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel.H4421H609H1201H4428H3478H311733Baasha son of Ahijah began to rule over all Israel in the third year of King Asa's reign in Judah. Baasha reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years.H7969H8141H609H4428H3063H1201H1121H281H4427H3478H8656H6242H702H814134But he did what was evil in the LORD's sight and followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit.H6213H7451H5869H3068H3212H1870H3379H2403H3478H2398
Dublin, OH
began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam's reign in Israel.H8083
