1 Kings 15:9-22

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 1his mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11Now 2Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord, like his father David. 123He also removed the male cult prostitutes from the land and 4removed all the idols which his fathers had made. 13And even his mother Maacah, 5he also removed her from the position of queen mother, because she had made an abominable image 6as an Asherah; and Asa cut down her abominable image and 7burned it at the brook Kidron. 148But the high places 9were not eliminated; nevertheless 10Asa’s heart was 11wholly devoted to the Lord all his days. 15And 12he brought into the house of the Lord the 13holy gifts of his father and his own 14holy gifts: silver, gold, and valuable utensils.

1615Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 1716Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and 1718fortified Ramah 19in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18Then 20Asa 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 21King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in 22Damascus, saying, 19“Let’s make a 23treaty between 24you 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 25conquered 26Ijon, 27Dan, 28Abel-beth-maacah, and all 29Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. 21When Baasha heard about it, 30he stopped 31fortifying Ramah and remained in 32Tirzah. 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 33Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.