King Abijam of Judah
(2 Chronicles 13.1-22)1 Abijam became king of Judah in Jeroboam's eighteenth year as king of Israel, 2 and he ruled from Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
3 Abijam did not truly obey the Lord his God as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he was sinful just like his father Rehoboam. 4-5 David had always obeyed the Lord's commands by doing right, except in the case of Uriah. And since Abijam was David's great-grandson, the Lord kept Jerusalem safe and let Abijam have a son who would be the next king.
6-7 The war that had broken out between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued during the time that Abijam was king.
Everything else Abijam did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. 8 Abijam died and was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Asa became king.
King Asa of Judah
(2 Chronicles 15.16—16.6,11-13)9 Asa became king of Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam's rule in Israel, 10 and he ruled 41 years from Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa obeyed the Lord, as David had done. 12 He forced the prostitutes at the shrines to leave the country, and he got rid of the idols his ancestors had made. 13 His own grandmother Maacah had made an idol of Asherah, and Asa took it and burned it in Kidron Valley. Then he removed Maacah from her position as queen mother.
14 As long as Asa lived, he was completely faithful to the Lord, even though he did not destroy the local shrines. 15 He placed in the temple all the silver and gold objects that he and his father had dedicated to the Lord.
16 Asa was always at war with King Baasha of Israel. 17 One time, Baasha invaded Judah and captured the town of Ramah. He started making the town stronger, so he could put troops there to stop people from going in and out of Judah.
18 When Asa heard about this, he took the silver and gold from his palace and from the Lord's temple. He gave it to some of his officials and sent them to Damascus with this message for King Benhadad of Syria: 19 “Our fathers signed a peace treaty. Why don't we do the same thing? This silver and gold is a present for you. So, would you please break your treaty with Baasha and force him to leave my country?”
20 Benhadad did what Asa asked and sent the Syrian army into Israel. They captured the towns of Ijon, Dan, and Abel-Bethmaacah, and the territories of Chinneroth and Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard about it, he left Ramah and went back to Tirzah.
22 Asa ordered everyone in Judah to carry away the stones and wood Baasha had used to strengthen the town of Ramah. Then he used these same stones and wood to fortify the town of Geba in the territory of Benjamin and the town of Mizpah.
23 Everything else Asa did while he was king, including his victories and the towns he rebuilt, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah. When he got older, he had a foot disease. 24 Asa died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Jehoshaphat then became king.
King Nadab of Israel
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Asa's second year as king of Judah, and he ruled two years. 26 Nadab disobeyed the Lord by following the evil example of his father, who had caused the Israelites to sin.
27-28 Baasha son of Ahijah was from the tribe of Issachar, and he made plans to kill Nadab. When Nadab and his army went to attack the town of Gibbethon in Philistia, Baasha killed Nadab there. So in the third year of Asa's rule, Baasha became king of Israel.
29 The Lord's prophet Ahijah had earlier said, “Not one man or boy in Jeroboam's family will be left alive.” And, as soon as Baasha became king, he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family, 30 because Jeroboam had made the Lord God of Israel angry by sinning and causing the Israelites to sin.
31 Everything else Nadab did while he was king is written in The History of the Kings of Israel.
32 King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel were always at war.
King Baasha of Israel
33 Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel in Asa's third year as king of Judah, and he ruled 24 years from Tirzah. 34 Baasha also disobeyed the Lord by acting like Jeroboam, who had caused the Israelites to sin.
1 And in the eighteenth yeere of King Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, reigned Abiiam ouer Iudah. 2 Three yeere reigned hee in Ierusalem, and his mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And hee walked in all the sinnes of his father, which hee had done before him: and his heart was not perfit with the Lord his God as the heart of Dauid his father. 4 But for Dauids sake did the Lord his God giue him a light in Ierusalem, and set vp his sonne after him, and established Ierusalem, 5 Because Dauid did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and turned from nothing that he commanded him, all the dayes of his life, saue onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite. 6 And there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam as long as he liued. 7 The rest also of the actes of Abiiam, and all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? there was also warre betweene Abiiam, and Ieroboam. 8 And Abiiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the citie of Dauid: and Asa his sonne reigned in his steade. 9 And in the twentie yeere of Ieroboam King of Israel reigned Asa ouer Iudah. 10 He reigned in Ierusalem one and fourtie yeere, and his mothers name was Maachah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did Dauid his father. 12 And he tooke away the Sodomites out of the lande, and put away all the idoles that his fathers had made. 13 And he put downe Maachah his mother also from her estate, because shee had made an idole in a groue: and Asa destroyed her idoles, and burnt them by the brooke Kidron. 14 But they put not downe the hie places. Neuertheles Asas heart was vpright with the Lord all his dayes. 15 Also he brought in the holy vessels of his father, and the things that he had dedicated vnto ye house of the Lord, siluer, and golde, and vessels. 16 And there was warre betweene Asa and Baasha King of Israel all their dayes. 17 Then Baasha king of Israel went vp against Iudah, and buylt Ramah, so that he woulde let none go out or in to Asa King of Iudah. 18 Then Asa tooke all the siluer and the gold that was left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the kings house, and deliuered them into the handes of his seruantes, and King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the sonne of Tabrimon, the sonne of Hezion king of Aram that dwelt at Damascus, saying, 19 There is a couenant betweene me and thee, and betweene my father and thy father: behold, I haue sent vnto thee a present of siluer and golde: come, breake thy couenant with Baasha King of Israel, that he may depart from me. 20 So Ben-hadad hearkened vnto King Asa, and sent the captaines of the hosts, which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote lion, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard thereof, hee left buylding of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. 22 Then king Asa assembled al Iudah, none excepted. and they tooke the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had buylt, and King Asa built with them Geba of Beniamin and Mizpah. 23 And the rest of all the actes of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he buylt, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? but in his olde age he was diseased in his feete. 24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his father. And Iehoshaphat his sonne reigned in his steade. 25 And Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam began to reigne ouer Israel the second yere of Asa King of Iudah, and reigned ouer Israel two yeere. 26 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of his father, and in his sinne wherewith he made Israel to sinne. 27 And Baasha the sonne of Ahijah of ye house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha slue him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistims: for Nadab and all Israel layde siege to Gibbethon. 28 Euen in the third yeere of Asa King of Iudah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his steade. 29 And when he was King, he smote all the house of Ieroboam, he left none aliue to Ieroboam, vntill hee had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord which he spake by his seruant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30 Because of the sinnes of Ieroboam which he committed, and wherewith he made Israel to sinne, by his prouocation, wherewith he prouoked the Lord God of Israel. 31 And the residue of the actes of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 32 And there was warre betweene Asa and Baasha King of Israel, all their dayes. 33 In the thirde yeere of Asa King of Iudah, began Baasha the sonne of Ahijah to reigne ouer all Israel in Tirzah, and reigned foure and twentie yeeres. 34 And he did euill in the sight of the Lord, walking in the way of Ieroboam, and in his sinne, wherewith he made Israel to sinne.