First Kings 15:9-25

⁹In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.

¹⁰He ruled forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹Asa did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, as David, his ancestor, had done.

¹²He expelled the cultic prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his ancestors had made.

¹³He also removed Maacah, his grandmother, from being queen, because she had made a disgusting figure out of an Asherah pole. Asa cut down the disgusting figure and burned it at the Kidron Valley.

¹⁴But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, Asa's heart was completely devoted to Yahweh all his days.

¹⁵He brought into the house of Yahweh the things that were set apart by his father, and his own things that had been set apart that were made of silver and gold, and vessels.

¹⁶There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel, all their days.

¹⁷Baasha king of Israel, acted aggressively against Judah and built up Ramah, so that he might not allow anyone to leave or enter into the land of Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the storerooms in the house of Yahweh, and the storerooms of the king's palace. He put it into the hands of his servants and sent it to Ben Hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who lived in Damascus. He said,

¹⁹“Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Look, I have sent to you a gift of silver and gold. Break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, so that he may leave me alone.”

²⁰Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies, and they attacked the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel of Beth Maacah, and all Kinnereth, together with all the land of Naphtali.

²¹It came about that when Baasha heard this, he stopped building up Ramah and went back to Tirzah.

²²Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah. No one was exempted. They carried away the stones and timbers of Ramah with which Baasha had been building up the city. Then King Asa used that building material to build up Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

²³As for the other matters of Asa, all his might, all that he did, and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the events of the kings of Judah? But during his old age he was diseased in his feet.

²⁴Then Asa slept with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David his father. Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place.

²⁵Nadab son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah; he reigned over Israel two years.