English Standard Version

International Standard Version

1Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah.

1Abijah reigned over Judah starting in the eighteenth year of Nebat's son Jeroboam's reign.

2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

3And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

3He practiced the same sins that his father committed before he was born. Unlike his ancestor David, his heart never became devoted to the LORD his God.

4Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem,

4Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God maintained a lamp for David in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him so that Jerusalem would be established,

5because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

5because David had practiced what the LORD considered to be right. He never avoided anything that the LORD had commanded him during his entire lifetime, except for the case of Uriah the Hittite.

6Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

6There was continual military conflict between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout his entire lifetime.

7The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, 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 Abijah's accomplishments, including everything he undertook, are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? And a state of war continued to exist between Abijah and Jeroboam.

8And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place.

8Eventually, Abijah died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king.

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

9Asa began to reign as Judah's king during the twentieth year of the reign of Jeroboam as king over Israel.

10and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

10He reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done.

11Asa practiced what the LORD considered to be right, just like his ancestor David.

12He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

12He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and destroyed all the idols that his ancestors had made.

13He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

13He removed his mother Maacah from her position as Queen Mother because she had made a detestable image dedicated to Asherah. Asa cut down his mother's idol, crushed it, and burned it at the Kidron Brook.

14But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days.

14Nevertheless, the high places were not removed, even though Asa's heart was blameless toward the LORD all of his life.

15And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

15Asa brought into the LORD's Temple the things that his father had dedicated, as well as his own dedicated gifts such as silver, gold, and temple service implements.

16And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

16A state of continual military unrest existed between Asa and King Baasha of Israel throughout their lifetimes.

17Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

17King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and interdicted Ramah by building fortifications around it so no one could enter or leave to join King Asa of Judah.

18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,

18But Asa removed all the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord's Temple and from his royal palace, placed them into the care of some servants, and then sent them to Tabrimmon's son King Ben-hadad of Aram, the grandson of Hezion, who lived in Damascus.

19“Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”

19"Let's make a treaty between you and me," he said, "just like the one between my father and your father. Notice that I've sent you silver and gold to break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he'll retreat from his attack on me."

20And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

20So King Ben-hadad did just what King Asa had asked: he sent his commanding officers to attack the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, all of Chinneroth, and the territory of Naphtali.

21And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah.

21When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah,

22Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

22so King Asa published a proclamation throughout Judah (no one was left out) and they carried away the stones and timber with which Baasha had been fortifying Judah. King Asa used them to fortify Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah.

23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.

23The rest of Asa's accomplishments, his strength, everything that he undertook, and the cities that he fortified are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? However, as he approached old age, he became diseased in his feet.

24And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

24Then Asa died, as had his ancestors, and he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David, his ancestor. His son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

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

25Jeroboam's son Nadab became king over Israel during the second year of the reign of King Asa over Judah. He reigned over Israel for two years,

26He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.

26practicing what the LORD considered to be evil, living the way his father did, committing sins, and leading Israel to sin.

27Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

27So Ahijah's son Baasha from the household of Issachar conspired against him and killed Nadab at Gibbethon in Philistia while Nadab and all of Israel were attacking Gibbethon.

28So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.

28Baasha killed him during the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah and took Nadab's place as king.

29And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.

29As soon as he was established as king, he killed everyone in the household of Jeroboam. He left not even one single person alive. He destroyed them completely, just as the LORD had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

30It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel.

30because of the sins that Jeroboam had committed, and because he led Israel into sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to become angry.

31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

31Now the rest of Nadab's accomplishments, including everything he undertook, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?

32And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

32Meanwhile, a state of war continued to exist between Asa and Baasha king of Israel, throughout their reigns.

33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years.

33During the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, Ahijah's son Baasha became king over all of Israel. He reigned for 24 years at Tirzah.

34He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.

34He practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, living like Jeroboam did and leading Israel into sin.

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