1 Kings 15

1 After Jeroboam had been the king of Israel for almost 18 years, Abijah became the king of Judah.

Now in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, Abiam reigned over Juda.

2 He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the granddaughter of [David’s son] Absalom.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was Maacha the daughter of Abessalom.

3 Abijah committed the same kind of sins that his father had committed. He was not fully dedicated/committed to Yahweh his God, as his grandfather David had been.

And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

4 But, because of [what Yahweh his God had promised to] David, Yahweh gave Abijah a son [MET] to rule in Jerusalem after him, and in order to protect Jerusalem [from their enemies].

But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:

5 Yahweh did that because David had always done what pleased Yahweh and because David had always obeyed Yahweh. The only time when he disobeyed Yahweh was when he caused Uriah [to be killed].

Because David had done that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from any thing that he commanded him, all the days of his life, except the matter of Urias the Hethite.

6 There were wars between [the armies of] Rehoboam and Jeroboam all during the time that Abijah ruled.

But there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam all the time of his life.

7 Everything else that Abijah did is written [RHQ] in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.

And the rest of the words of Abiam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda? And there was war between Abiam and Jeroboam.

8 Abijah died [EUP] and was buried in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’, and his son Asa became king.

And Abiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

9 After Jeroboam had been the king of Israel for almost 20 years, Asa started to rule Judah.

So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, reigned Asa king of Juda,

10 He ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.

And he reigned one and forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom.

11 Asa did what was pleasing to Yahweh, as his ancestor David had done.

And Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as did David his father:

12 He got rid of the male prostitutes that were at the places where the people worshiped idols, and he also got rid of all the idols that his ancestors had made.

And he took away the effeminate out of the land, and he removed all the filth of the idols, which his fathers had made.

13 He also removed his grandmother Maacah so that she no longer had influence in the government [because of] being the mother of a previous king. He did that because she had made a disgusting [wooden] statue of the goddess Asherah. Asa [told his workers to] cut down the statue and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

Moreover he also removed his mother Maacha, from being the princess in the sacrifices of Priapus, and in the grove which she had consecrated to him: and he destroyed her den, and broke in pieces the filthy idol, and burnt it by the torrent Cedron:

14 He was not able to destroy all the places where the people worshiped [idols] on the high hills, but he continued to be dedicated/committed to Yahweh his entIre life.

But the high places he did not take away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his days:

15 He [told his workers to] place in the temple all the items that his father had dedicated to God, and all the gold and silver things that he had dedicated to God.

And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and he had vowed, into the house of the Lord, silver and gold, and vessels.

16 There were wars between [the armies of] Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel, all during the time that they ruled.

And there was war between Asa, and Baasa king of Israel all their days.

17 Baasha’s army invaded Judah. They captured Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. Then they started to build a wall around it in order to prevent people from entering or leaving the area in Judah that was ruled by King Asa.

And Baasa king of Israel went up against Juda, and built Rama, that no man might go out or come in, of the side of Asa king of Juda.

18 So Asa [told] his workers [to] take all the silver and gold that was still in the storerooms in the temple and in the palace. He told them to take it to Damascus and give it to King Ben-Hadad who ruled Syria. Ben-Hadad was the son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion. He told the workers to say this to Ben-Hadad:

Then Asa took all the silver and gold that remained in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and delivered it into the hands of his servants: and sent them to Benadad son of Tabremon the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:

19 “I want there to be a peace treaty between you and me, like there was between your father and my father. For that reason, I am giving you this silver and gold. So now please cancel the treaty that you made with Baasha, the king of Israel, in order that he will take his soldiers away from attacking mine, [because he will be afraid of your army].”

There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: therefore I have sent thee presents of silver and gold: and I desire thee to come, and break thy league with Baasa king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

20 [So the workers went and gave the message to] Ben-Hadad, [and he] did what Asa suggested. He sent his army commanders [and their soldiers] to attack some of the towns in Israel. They captured Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, the area near Galilee Lake, and all the land of [the tribe of] Naphtali.

Benadad hearkening to king Asa, sent the captains of his army against the cities of Israel, and they smote Ahion, and Dan, and Abeldomum Maacha, and all Cenneroth, that is all the land of Nephtali.

21 When Baasha heard about that, he [told his soldiers to] stop working at Ramah. He [and his soldiers returned to] Tirzah [and] stayed there.

And when Baasa had heard this, he left off building Rama, and returned into Thersa.

22 Then King Asa sent a message to all the [people in the] towns in Judah, stating that they all were required to go to Ramah and carry away the stones and timber that Baasha’s soldiers had been using to build a wall around the city. With those stones and timber they fortified Mizpah [city north of Jerusalem], and Geba, [a town] in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin.

But king Asa sent word into all Juda, saying: Let no man be excused: and they took away the stones from Rama, and the timber thereof wherewith Baasa had been building, and with them Asa built Gabaa of Benjamin, and Maspha.

23 Everything else that Asa did, the armies that his soldiers defeated, and the names of the cities that he caused to be fortified, are [RHQ] written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’. But when Asa became old, he got a disease in his feet.

But the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his strength, and all that he did and the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

24 He died [EUP] and was buried where his ancestors were buried in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. Then his son Jehoshaphat became king.

And he slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Josaphat his son reigned in his place.

25 After Asa had been the king of Judah for almost two years, King Jeroboam’s son Nadab started to rule Israel. He ruled for two years.

But Nadab the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel the second year of Asa king of Juda: and he reigned over Israel two years.

26 He did things that Yahweh considered to be evil. His behavior was sinful like his father’s behavior had been, and what he did led the people of Israel to sin.

And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father, and in his sins, wherewith he made Israel to sin.

27 [A man named] Baasha, from the tribe of Issachar, planned to harm him. He killed Nadab when Nadab and his army had surrounded Gibbethon [city] in the Philistia area.

And Baasa the son of Ahias of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and slew him in Gebbethon, which is a city of the Philistines: for Nadab and all Israel besieged Gebbethon.

28 That [DOU] was when Asa had been [the king ruling] Judah for almost three years. Then Baasha became the king of Israel.

So Baasa slew him in the third year of Asa king of Juda, and reigned in his place.

29 As soon as Baasha became king, [he commanded his soldiers to] kill all of Jeroboam’s family. Doing what Yahweh had told the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh would happen, they killed all of Jeroboam’s family. None of them (was left/remained alive).

And when he was king he cut off all the house of Jeroboam: he left not so much as one soul of his seed, till he had utterly destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken in the hand of Ahias the Silonite:

30 That happened because Yahweh had become very angry with Jeroboam because of all the sins that Jeroboam had committed, and because of the sins that he had persuaded the people of Israel to commit.

Because of the sin of Jeroboam, which he had sinned, and wherewith he had made Israel to sin, and for the offence, wherewith he provoked the Lord the God of Israel.

31 Everything else that Nadab did is written [RHQ] in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.

But the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?

32 There were wars between [the armies of] King Asa and King Baasha all the time that they ruled.

And there was war between Asa and Baasa the king of Israel all their days.

33 After Asa had been the king of Judah for almost three years, Baasha, the son of Ahijah, started to rule Israel at Tirzah [city]. He ruled for 24 years.

In the third year of Asa king of Juda, Baasa the son of Ahias reigned over all Israel, in Thersa, four and twenty years.

34 He did things that Yahweh considered to be evil, and his behavior was sinful like his father’s had been, and he led the people of Israel to sin.

And he did evil before the Lord, and walked in the ways of Jeroboam, and in his sins, wherewith he made Israel to sin.