1 Kings 15

Abijam Reigns over Judah

11Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was 23Maacah the daughter of 45Abishalom. 3He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and 6his heart was not 7wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David. 4But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a 8lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem, 59because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and did not deviate from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, 10except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 611And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

7Now as for 12the 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? 13And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

Asa Succeeds Abijam

814And Abijam 15lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and his son Asa became king in his place.

9So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. 10He reigned for forty-one years in Jerusalem; and 16his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11Now 17Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord, like his father David. 1218He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and 19removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13And even his mother Maacah, 20he also removed her from the position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable image 21as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her abominable image and 22burned it at the brook Kidron. 1423But the high places 24were not eliminated; nevertheless 25Asa’s heart was 26wholly devoted to the Lord all his days. 15And 27he brought into the house of the Lord the 28holy gifts of his father and his own 29holy gifts: silver, gold, and valuable utensils.

1630Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 1731Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and 3233fortified Ramah 34in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then 35Asa took all the silver and the gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the king’s house, and handed it over to his servants. And 36King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in 37Damascus, saying, 19“Let’s make a 38treaty between 39you and me, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 20So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and 40conquered 41Ijon, 42Dan, 43Abel-beth-maacah, and all 44Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. 21When Baasha heard about it, 45he stopped 46fortifying Ramah and remained in 47Tirzah. 22Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah--no one was exempt--and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had built fortifications. And King Asa built with them 48Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa

2349Now as for the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might, and all that he did and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. 24And Asa 50lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David; and his son 51Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

Nadab and Then Baasha Rule over Israel

25Now 52Nadab the son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years. 26He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and 53walked in the way of his father and 54in his sin into which he misled Israel. 27Then 55Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against him, and Baasha struck and killed him at 56Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

28So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place. 29And as soon as he was king, he struck and killed all the household of Jeroboam. He did not leave Jeroboam any 57persons alive, but kept killing until he had eliminated them, 58in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, 30and because of the sins of Jeroboam which he 59committed, and into 60which he misled Israel, because of his provocation with which he provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.

3161Now as for 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?

War with Judah

3262And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned for twenty-four years. 34And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and 63walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin into which he misled Israel.