1 Kings 15

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah^[a] became king of Judah,

Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.

and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.^[b]

He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was ^[a]Maacah the daughter of ^[b]Abishalom.

He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.

He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not ^[c]wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David.

Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong.

But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem;

For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

There was war between Abijah^[c] and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime.

There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

Now the 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.

Asa Succeeds Abijam

And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

Asa King of Judah

And Abijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son became king in his place.

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah,

So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah.

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

He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

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

Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father.

He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made.

He also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols which his fathers had made.

He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

^[d]He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image ^[e]as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

But the high places were not taken away; nevertheless the heart of Asa was ^[f]wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.

He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

He brought into the house of the Lord the dedicated things of his father and his own dedicated things: silver and gold and utensils.

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

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

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

Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and ^[g]fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.

Then Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,

“Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

“Let there be a treaty between ^[h]you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a present of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.”

Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali.

So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and ^[i]conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah and all Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali.

When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.

When Baasha heard of it, he ceased ^[j]fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah.

Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.

Then 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 built. And King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased.

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

Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

Nadab King of Israel

And 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.

Nadab, then Baasha, Rules over Israel

Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

Now Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.

He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin.

Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it.

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

Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.

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

As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.

It came about as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam ^[k]any persons alive, until he had destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord, which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

This happened because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.

and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.

As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

Now 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?

War with Judah

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

Baasha King of Israel

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

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

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

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.

He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin.