| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Abijah reigned over Judah starting in the eighteenth year of Nebat's son Jeroboam's reign. | 1In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king over Judah. |
| 2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. | 2He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. |
| 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. | 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 maintained a lamp for David in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him so that Jerusalem would be established, | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 6There was continual military conflict between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout his entire lifetime. | 6Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other throughout Abijah's lifetime. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 8Eventually, Abijah died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king. | 8Abijah passed away and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa replaced him as king. |
| 9Asa began to reign as Judah's king during the twentieth year of the reign of Jeroboam as king over Israel. | 9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign over Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. |
| 10He reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. | 10He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. |
| 11Asa practiced what the LORD considered to be right, just like his ancestor David. | 11Asa did what the LORD approved like his ancestor David had done. |
| 12He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and destroyed all the idols that his ancestors had made. | 12He removed the male cultic prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the disgusting idols his ancestors had made. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 14Nevertheless, the high places were not removed, even though Asa's heart was blameless toward the LORD all of his life. | 14The high places were not eliminated, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD throughout his lifetime. |
| 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. | 15He brought the holy items that he and his father had made into the LORD's temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles. |
| 16A state of continual military unrest existed between Asa and King Baasha of Israel throughout their lifetimes. | 16Now Asa and King Baasha of Israel were continually at war with each other. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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'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." | 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." |
| 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. | 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 remained in Tirzah, | 21When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying Ramah and settled down in Tirzah. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 24Asa passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king. |
| 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, | 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. |
| 26practicing what the LORD considered to be evil, living the way his father did, committing sins, and leading Israel to sin. | 26He did evil in the sight of the LORD. He followed in his father's footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 28Baasha killed him during the third year of the reign of King Asa of Judah and took Nadab's place as king. | 28Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa's reign over Judah and replaced him as king. |
| 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, | 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 that Jeroboam had committed, and because he led Israel into sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to become angry. | 30This happened because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he made Israel commit. These sins angered the LORD God 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? | 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. |
| 32Meanwhile, a state of war continued to exist between Asa and Baasha king of Israel, throughout their reigns. | 32Asa and King Nadab of Israel were continually at war with each other. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 34He practiced what the LORD considered to be evil, living like Jeroboam did and leading Israel into sin. | 34He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he followed in Jeroboam's footsteps and encouraged Israel to sin. |
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