Asa’s Reign over Judah

15:9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. 15:10 He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem.17 His grandmother18 was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 15:11 Asa did what the Lord approved19 like his ancestor20 David had done. 15:12 He removed the male cultic prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the disgusting idols21 his ancestors22 had made. 15:13 He also removed Maacah his grandmother23 from her position as queen because she had made a loathsome Asherah pole. Asa cut down her Asherah pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 15:14 The high places were not eliminated, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime.24 15:15 He brought the holy items that he and his father had made into the Lord’s temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles.25

15:16 Now Asa and King Baasha of Israel were continually at war with each other.26 15:17 King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah and established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.27 15:18 Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and handed it to his servants. He then told them to deliver it28 to Ben Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: 15:19 “I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made.29 See, I have sent you silver and gold as a present. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.”30 15:20 Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel.31 They conquered32 Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth.33 15:21 When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying34 Ramah and settled down in Tirzah. 15:22 King Asa ordered all the men of Judah (no exemptions were granted) to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah.35 King Asa used the materials to build up36 Geba (in Benjamin) and Mizpah.

15:23 The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, including all his successes and accomplishments, as well as a record of the cities he built, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.37 Yet when he was very old he developed a foot disease.38 15:24 Asa passed away39 and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king.