1 Kings 15:9–24

Asa King of Judah

15:9–22pp—2Ch 14:2–3; 15:16–16:6 15:23–24pp—2Ch 16:11–17:1

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

¹¹Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David^m had done. ¹²He expelled the male shrine prostitutesⁿ from the land and got rid of all the idols^o his ancestors had made. ¹³He even deposed his grandmother Maakah^p from her position as queen mother,^q because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down^r and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁴Although he did not remove^s the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed^t to the Lord all his life. ¹⁵He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.^u

¹⁶There was war^v between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. ¹⁷Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah^w to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple^x and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent^y them to Ben-Hadad^z son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. ¹⁹“Let there be a treaty^a 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.”

²⁰Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered^b Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. ²¹When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah^c and withdrew to Tirzah.^{d 22}Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah^e the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa^f built up Geba^g in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.^h

²³As 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. ²⁴Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphatⁱ his son succeeded him as king.