| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah, | 1In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king over Judah. |
| 2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. | 2He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. |
| 3And Abijam walked in all the sins that his father before him had committed, and his heart was not as fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his forefather had been. | 3He followed all the sinful practices of his father before him. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had been. |
| 4Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong. | 4Nevertheless for David's sake the LORD his God maintained his dynasty in Jerusalem by giving him a son to succeed him and by protecting Jerusalem. |
| 5For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. | 5He did this because David had done what he approved and had not disregarded any of his commandments his entire lifetime, except for the incident involving Uriah the Hittite. |
| 6And there was war between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Abijam’s life. | 6Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other throughout Abijah's lifetime. |
| 7As for the rest of the acts of Abijam, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. | 7The rest of the events of Abijah's reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. Abijah and Jeroboam had been at war with each other. |
| 8And Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa reigned in his place. | 8Abijah passed away and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa replaced him as king. |
| 9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Asa became king of Judah, | 9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign over Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. |
| 10and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. | 10He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. |
| 11And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. | 11Asa did what the LORD approved like his ancestor David had done. |
| 12He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. | 12He removed the male cultic prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the disgusting idols his ancestors had made. |
| 13He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. | 13He also removed Maacah his grandmother 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. |
| 14The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days. | 14The high places were not eliminated, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD throughout his lifetime. |
| 15And he brought into the house of the LORD the silver and gold and other articles that he and his father had dedicated. | 15He brought the holy items that he and his father had made into the LORD's temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles. |
| 16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. | 16Now Asa and King Baasha of Israel were continually at war with each other. |
| 17Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. | 17King 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. |
| 18So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace. He entrusted it to his servants and sent them with this message to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus: | 18Asa 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 it to Ben Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: |
| 19“Let there be a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” | 19"I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. 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." |
| 20And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth. | 20Ben Hadad accepted King Asa's offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth. |
| 21When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. | 21When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying Ramah and settled down in Tirzah. |
| 22Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah. | 22King 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. King Asa used the materials to build up Geba (in Benjamin) and Mizpah. |
| 23Now the rest of the acts of Asa, along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? In his old age, however, he became diseased in his feet. | 23The 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. Yet when he was very old he developed a foot disease. |
| 24And Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place. | 24Asa passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king. |
| 25In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years. | 25In the second year of Asa's reign over Judah, Jeroboam's son Nadab became the king of Israel; he ruled Israel for two years. |
| 26And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. | 26He did evil in the sight of the LORD. He followed in his father's footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin. |
| 27Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city. | 27Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, conspired against Nadab and assassinated him in Gibbethon, which was in Philistine territory. This happened while Nadab and all the Israelite army were besieging Gibbethon. |
| 28In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha killed Nadab and reigned in his place. | 28Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa's reign over Judah and replaced him as king. |
| 29As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, | 29When he became king, he executed Jeroboam's entire family. He wiped out everyone who breathed, just as the LORD had predicted through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. |
| 30because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. | 30This happened because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he made Israel commit. These sins angered the LORD God of Israel. |
| 31As for the rest of the acts of Nadab, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? | 31The rest of the events of Nadab's reign, including all his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. |
| 32And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. | 32Asa and King Nadab of Israel were continually at war with each other. |
| 33In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years. | 33In the third year of Asa's reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah; he ruled for twenty-four years. |
| 34And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. | 34He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he followed in Jeroboam's footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin. |
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