2 Chronicles 16

1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

In the six-and-thirtieth year of the reign of Assa, came up Ba'sha the king of Israel against Judah, and built Kamah, in order not to suffer any one to go out or come in to Assa the king of Judah.

2 So Asa withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus:

Then did Assa bring out silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent [them] to Ben-hadad the king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

3 “Let there be a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

A covenant is between me and thee, as between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Ba'sha the king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.

4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Assa, and sent the captains of the armies that he had against the cities of Israel, and they smote 'Iyon, and Dan, and Abel-mayim, and all the treasure-cities of Naphtali.

5 When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work.

And it came to pass, when Ba'sha heard this, that he left off the building of Ramah, and stopped his work.

6 Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and Mizpah.

And king Assa took then all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, wherewith Ba'sha had built; and he built therewith Geba' and Mizpah.

7 At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.

And at that time came Chanani the seer to Assa the king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied on the Lord thy God: therefore is the army of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hands.

8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.

Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a numerous army, with chariots and horsemen in great abundance? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he gave them up into thy hand.

9 For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”

For as regardeth the Lord, his eyes roam throughout the whole earth, to hold strongly with those whose heart is entire toward him: thou hast done foolishly for this reason; because from this time forth there will be wars with thee.

10 Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.

Then became Assa incensed toward the seer, and put him in a prison-house; for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Assa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

11 Now the rest of the acts of Asa, from beginning to end, are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

And, behold, the acts of Assa, the first and the last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady became increasingly severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but only the physicians.

And Assa became sick in the thirty-and-ninth year of his reign in his feet, his disease being exceedingly severe: yet even in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but [applied] to the physicians.

13 So in the forty-first year of his reign, Asa died and rested with his fathers.

And Assa slept with his fathers, and died in the one-and-fortieth year of his reign.

14 And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes; then they made a great fire in his honor.

And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had dug for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the couch which was filled with sweet odors and divers kinds of spices mixed by the apothecary's art; and they made for him a burning uncommonly great.