Chronicles II 16

1 And in the thirty-eighth year of the reign of Asa, the king of Israel went up against Juda, and built Rama, so as not to allow egress or ingress to Asa king of Juda.

Then, in the thirty-sixth year of his reign, Baasha, the king of Israel, ascended against Judah. And he encircled Ramah with a wall, so that no one could safely depart or enter from the kingdom of Asa.

2 And Asa took silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and sent [them] to the son of Ader king of Syria, which lived in Damascus, saying,

Therefore, Asa brought forth silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord, and from the treasuries of the king. And he sent to Benhadad, the king of Syria, who was living in Damascus, saying:

3 Make a covenant between me and you, and between my father and your father: behold, I have sent you gold and silver: come, and turn away from me Baasa king of Israel, and let him depart from me.

“There is a pact between me and you. Also, my father and your father had an agreement. For this reason, I have sent silver and gold to you, so that you may break the pact that you have with Baasha, the king of Israel, and so that you may cause him to withdraw from me.”

4 And the son of Ader listened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his host against the cities of Israel; and struck Aeon, and Dan, and Abelmain, and all the country round Nephthali.

And when he verified this, Benhadad sent the leaders of his armies to the cities of Israel. And they struck Ahion, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the walled cities of Naphtali.

5 And it came to pass when Baasa heard [it] he left off building Rama, and put a stop to his work:

And when Baasha had heard of it, he ceased to build around Ramah, and he interrupted his work.

6 then king Asa took all Juda, and took the stones of Rama, and its timber, [with] which Baasa [had] built; and he built with them Gabae and Maspha.

Then king Asa took all of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and the wood that Baasha had prepared for the things to be built. And he built up Gibeah and Mizpah with them.

7 And at that time came Anani the prophet to Asa king of Juda, and said to him, Because you did trust on the king of Syria, and did not trust on the Lord your God, therefore the army of Syria is escaped out of your hand.

In that time, the prophet Hanani went to Asa, the king of Judah, and he said to him: “Because you have faith in the king of Syria, and not in the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.

8 Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a great force, in courage, in horsemen, in great numbers? and did not He deliver them into your hands, because you trusted in the Lord?

Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans much more numerous in chariots, and horsemen, and an exceedingly great multitude? Yet when you believed in the Lord, he delivered them into your hand.

9 For the eyes of the Lord look upon all the earth, to strengthen every heart that is perfect toward him. In this you have done foolishly; henceforth there shall be war with you.

For the eyes of the Lord contemplate the entire earth, and offer fortitude to those who believe in him with a perfect heart. And so, you acted foolishly. And so, because of this, from the present time wars shall rise up against you.”

10 And Asa was angry with the prophet, and put him in prison, for he was angry at this: and Asa vexed some of the people at that time.

And Asa was angry against the seer, and he ordered him to be sent into prison. For indeed, he had been very indignant over this. And in that time, he put to death very many of the people.

11 And, behold, the acts of Asa, the first and the last, [are] written in the book of the kings of Juda and Israel.

But the works of Asa, the first and the last, have been written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

12 And Asa was diseased [in] his feet in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, until he was very ill: but in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.

And now Asa became ill, in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, with a very severe pain in his feet. And yet, in his infirmity, he did not seek the Lord. Instead, he trusted more in the skill of physicians.

13 And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forties year of his reign.

And he slept with his fathers. And he died in the forty-first year of his reign.

14 And they buried him in the sepulchre which he had dug for himself in the city of David, and they laid him on a bed, and filled [it] with spices and [all] kinds of perfumes of the apothecaries; and they made for him a very great funeral.

And they buried him in his own sepulcher, which he had made for himself in the City of David. And they placed him upon his bed, full of the aromatics and ointments of courtesans, which were composed with the skill of the perfumers. And they burned these over him with very great ostentation.