Abijam, king of Judah
1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah
2 and reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, daughter of Abi shalom.
3 He imitated all the sins his father had committed before him and, unlike his ancestor David, was not wholly faithful to Yahweh, his God.
4 Yet Yahweh had promised David that he would keep his lamp burning in Jerusalem; he would raise his descendants af ter him and establish Jerusalem.
5 This was be cause David had pleased Yahweh and did not disobey any of his commands as long as he lived, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
6 – 7 The rest of the events of Abi jam’s reign and everything he did are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
8 When Abijam rested with his fathers, he was buried in the city of David, and his son Asa reigned in his place.
Asa, king of Judah
9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Asa, king of Judah, began to reign and
10 was king for forty-one years, ruling in Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah, daughter of Abi shalom.
11 Asa did what was right before Yahweh, just as his ancestor David had done.
12 He rid the land of male cult prostitutes and removed all the idols his ancestors had made.
13 He also deposed his grandmother Maacah as queen mother, for having made an abominable image for Asherah. Asa destroyed Asherah’s image and burned it at the brook Kidron;
14 he did not, however, close down the high places. Nevertheless, Asa remained faithful to Yahweh for the rest of his life.
15 He brought into Yah weh’s house both the votive gifts of his father and his own: silver, gold and vessels.
16 Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, were at war during their reigns.
17 Baasha, king of Israel, attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to cut off all communication with Asa, king of Judah.
18 Asa, in the meantime, collecting all the silver and gold remaining in the treasuries of the tem ple of Yahweh and the royal palace, entrusted them to his servants whom he sent to Ben-hadad, son of Tabrimmon, son of He zion, king of Syria who reigned in Damascus.
19 He sent him this message, “Let us together make a treaty just as my father and yours did. I am sending you silver and gold, so please break your treaty with Baasha, king of Israel that he may withdraw from my territory.”
20 Ben-hadad acceded to King Asa’s request and sent his officers to harass the cities of Israel, capturing Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, all the land of Chinneroth and the region of Naph tali.
21 On hearing this, Baasha stopped the fortification of Ramah and moved to Tirzah where he lived.
22 Then King Asa issued an or der to all of Judah, excluding no one, to take away the stones and timber which Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. With these materials, King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Miz pah.
23 The rest of Asa’s reign, his bravery, his deeds and the cities which he built are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. In his old age, Asa suffered from a foot disease.
24 Asa then rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his ancestor. His son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.
Nadab and Baasha, kings of Israel
25 Nadab, son of Jeroboam, began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa, king of Judah.
26 He reigned over Israel for two years, doing what displeased Yahweh and dragging Israel into sin as his father had done.
27 Baasha, son of Ahijah of the family of Issachar, plotted against him and struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines when Nadab and the Israelites were laying siege to this city.
28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.
29 As soon as he was king, he killed off the entire family of Jeroboam, leaving him no one alive but wiping them out according to the word which Yahweh had spoken through his servant Ahijah, the Shilonite.
30 This happened because of Jero boam who aroused the anger of Yahweh, the God of Israel, by sinning and drag ging Israel into sin.
31 The rest of the events of Nadab’s reign and his achievements are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
32 Asa and Baasha were at war during their reigns.
33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha, son of Ahijah, began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah where he reigned for twenty-four years.
34 He did what displeased Yahweh and sinned just as Jeroboam, who dragged Israel into sin, had done.