Abijah Becomes King of Judah

15 Abijah became king of Judah. It was in the 18th year of Jeroboam’s rule over Israel. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat. 2Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother’s name was Maacah. She was Abishalom’s daughter.

3Abijah committed all of the sins his father had committed before him. Abijah didn’t follow the Lord his God with all his heart. He didn’t do what King David had done.

4But the Lord still kept the lamp of Abijah’s kingdom burning brightly in Jerusalem. He did it by giving him a son to be the next king after him. He also did it by making Jerusalem strong. The Lord did those things because of David. 5David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He had kept all of the Lord’s commands. He had obeyed them all the days of his life. But he hadn’t obeyed the Lord in the case of Uriah, the Hittite.

6There was war between Jeroboam and Abijah’s father Rehoboam. The war continued all through Abijah’s life. 7The other events of Abijah’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

8Abijah joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in the City of David. His son Asa became the next king after him.

Asa Becomes King of Judah

9Asa became king of Judah. It was in the 20th year that Jeroboam was king of Israel. 10Asa ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah. She was Abishalom’s daughter.

11Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. That’s what King David had done.

12Asa threw out of the land the male prostitutes who were at the temples. He got rid of all of the statues of gods his people before him had made. 13He even removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother. That’s because she had made a pole that was used to worship the goddess Asherah. The Lord hated it. So Asa cut it down. He burned it in the Kidron Valley.

14Asa didn’t remove the high places from Israel. But he committed his whole life completely to the Lord. 15He and his father had set apart silver, gold and other articles to the Lord. He brought them into the Lord’s temple.

16There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings. 17Baasha was king of Israel. He marched out against Judah. He built up the walls of Ramah. He did it to keep people from leaving or entering the territory of Asa, the king of Judah.

18Asa took all of the silver and gold that was left among the treasures of the Lord’s temple and his own palace. He put his officials in charge of it. He sent the officials to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad was king of Aram. He was ruling in Damascus. He was the son of Tabrimmon and the grandson of Hezion.

19“Let’s make a peace treaty between us,” Asa said. “My father and your father had made a peace treaty between them. Now I’m sending you a gift of silver and gold. So break your treaty with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he’ll go back home.”

20Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel. He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah and the whole area of Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali.

21Baasha heard about it. So he stopped building up Ramah. He went back home to Tirzah.

22Then King Asa gave an order to all of the men of Judah. Everyone was required to help. They carried away from Ramah the stones and wood Baasha had been using there. King Asa used them to build up Geba in the territory of Benjamin. He also used them to build up Mizpah.

23All of the other events of Asa’s rule are written down. Everything he accomplished is written down. Everything he did and the cities he built are written down. They are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. But when Asa became old, his feet began to give him trouble. 24He joined the members of his family who had already died. His body was buried in his family tomb. It was in the city of King David. Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the next king after him.

Nadab Becomes King of Israel

25Nadab became king of Israel. It was in the second year that Asa was king of Judah. Nadab ruled over Israel for two years. He was the son of Jeroboam. 26Nadab did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way his father had lived. He sinned as his father had sinned. Jeroboam had also caused Israel to commit the same sins.

27Baasha was from the tribe of Issachar. He was the son of Ahijah. Baasha made plans against Nadab and struck him down at Gibbethon. It was a Philistine town. Baasha struck him down while Nadab and all of the men of Israel were getting ready to attack Gibbethon. 28He killed Nadab in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha became the next king after Nadab.

29As soon as Baasha became king, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He didn’t leave any of them alive. He destroyed every one of them. He did what the Lord had said would happen. The Lord had spoken that message through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh.

30The Lord judged Jeroboam’s family because of the sins Jeroboam had committed. He had also caused Israel to commit those same sins. He had made the Lord very angry. The Lord is the God of Israel.

31The other events of Nadab’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel.

32There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings.

Baasha Becomes King of Israel

33Baasha became king of Israel in Tirzah. It was in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha ruled for 24 years. He was the son of Ahijah. 34Baasha did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way Jeroboam had lived. He sinned as Jeroboam had sinned. Jeroboam had also caused Israel to commit the same sins.