1 מְלָכִים 15

1 וּבִשְׁנַת֙ שְׁמֹנֶ֣ה עֶשְׂרֵ֔ה לַמֶּ֖לֶךְ יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֑ט מָלַ֥ךְ אֲבִיָּ֖ם עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

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

2 שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמֹּ֔ו מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אֲבִישָׁלֹֽום׃

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

3 וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ בְּכָל־חַטֹּ֥אות אָבִ֖יו אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֣ה לְפָנָ֑יו וְלֹא־הָיָ֨ה לְבָבֹ֤ו שָׁלֵם֙ עִם־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔יו כִּלְבַ֖ב דָּוִ֥ד אָבִֽיו׃

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.

4 כִּ֚י לְמַ֣עַן דָּוִ֔ד נָתַן֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהָ֥יו לֹ֛ו נִ֖יר בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם לְהָקִ֤ים אֶת־בְּנֹו֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וּֽלְהַעֲמִ֖יד אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

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].

5 אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֥ה דָוִ֛ד אֶת־הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־סָ֞ר מִכֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֗הוּ כֹּ֚ל יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו רַ֕ק בִּדְבַ֖ר אוּרִיָּ֥ה הַחִתִּֽי׃

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].

6 וּמִלְחָמָ֨ה הָיְתָ֧ה בֵין־רְחַבְעָ֛ם וּבֵ֥ין יָרָבְעָ֖ם כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽיו׃

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

7 וְיֶ֨תֶר דִּבְרֵ֤י אֲבִיָּם֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה הֲלֹֽוא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וּמִלְחָמָ֥ה הָיְתָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין אֲבִיָּ֖ם וּבֵ֥ין יָרָבְעָֽם׃

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

8 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב אֲבִיָּם֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ אֹתֹ֖ו בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אָסָ֥א בְנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ

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

9 וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים לְיָרָבְעָ֖ם מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מָלַ֥ךְ אָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃

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

10 וְאַרְבָּעִ֤ים וְאַחַת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמֹּ֔ו מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אֲבִישָׁלֹֽום׃

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

11 וַיַּ֧עַשׂ אָסָ֛א הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כְּדָוִ֖ד אָבִֽיו׃

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

12 וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר הַקְּדֵשִׁ֖ים מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּ֙סַר֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַגִּלֻּלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשׂ֖וּ אֲבֹתָֽיו׃

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.

13 וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה אִמֹּ֗ו וַיְסִרֶ֙הָ֙ מִגְּבִירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֥ה מִפְלֶ֖צֶת לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת אָסָא֙ אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֹֽון׃

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.

14 וְהַבָּמֹ֖ות לֹא־סָ֑רוּ רַ֣ק לְבַב־אָסָ֗א הָיָ֥ה שָׁלֵ֛ם עִם־יְהוָ֖ה כָּל־יָמָֽיו׃

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.

15 וַיָּבֵא֙ אֶת־קָדְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֔יו וְקָדְשֹׁו (וְקָדְשֵׁ֖י) בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה כֶּ֥סֶף וְזָהָ֖ב וְכֵלִֽים׃

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.

16 וּמִלְחָמָ֨ה הָיְתָ֜ה בֵּ֣ין אָסָ֗א וּבֵ֛ין בַּעְשָׁ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵיהֶֽם׃

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

17 וַיַּ֨עַל בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּ֖בֶן אֶת־הָרָמָ֑ה לְבִלְתִּ֗י תֵּ֚ת יֹצֵ֣א וָבָ֔א לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃

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.

18 וַיִּקַּ֣ח אָ֠סָא אֶת־כָּל־הַכֶּ֨סֶף וְהַזָּהָ֜ב הַֽנֹּותָרִ֣ים ׀ בְּאֹוצְרֹ֣ות בֵּית־יְהוָ֗ה וְאֶת־אֹֽוצְרֹות֙ בֵּ֣ית מֶלֶךְ (הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ) וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיַד־עֲבָדָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֞ם הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֗א אֶל־בֶּן־הֲ֠דַד בֶּן־טַבְרִמֹּ֤ן בֶּן־חֶזְיֹון֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֥ב בְּדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק לֵאמֹֽר׃

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:

19 בְּרִית֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔ךָ בֵּ֥ין אָבִ֖י וּבֵ֣ין אָבִ֑יךָ הִנֵּה֩ שָׁלַ֨חְתִּֽי לְךָ֥ שֹׁ֙חַד֙ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב לֵ֣ךְ הָפֵ֗רָה אֶת־בְּרִֽיתְךָ֙ אֶת־בַּעְשָׁ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה מֵעָלָֽי׃

“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].”

20 וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע בֶּן־הֲדַ֜ד אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֗א וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח אֶת־שָׂרֵ֨י הַחֲיָלִ֤ים אֲשֶׁר־לֹו֙ עַל־עָרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־עִיֹּ֣ון וְאֶת־דָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת אָבֵ֣ל בֵּֽית־מַעֲכָ֑ה וְאֵת֙ כָּל־כִּנְרֹ֔ות עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ נַפְתָּלִֽי׃

[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.

21 וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ בַּעְשָׁ֔א וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל מִבְּנֹ֖ות אֶת־הֽ͏ָרָמָ֑ה וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּתִרְצָֽה׃

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

22 וְהַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אָסָ֜א הִשְׁמִ֤יעַ אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָה֙ אֵ֣ין נָקִ֔י וַיִּשְׂא֞וּ אֶת־אַבְנֵ֤י הָֽרָמָה֙ וְאֶת־עֵצֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה בַּעְשָׁ֑א וַיִּ֤בֶן בָּם֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֔א אֶת־גֶּ֥בַע בִּנְיָמִ֖ן וְאֶת־הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃

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.

23 וְיֶ֣תֶר כָּל־דִּבְרֵֽי־אָ֠סָא וְכָל־גְּב֨וּרָתֹ֜ו וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֗ה וְהֶֽעָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּנָ֔ה הֲלֹֽא־הֵ֣מָּה כְתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה רַ֚ק לְעֵ֣ת זִקְנָתֹ֔ו חָלָ֖ה אֶת־רַגְלָֽיו׃

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.

24 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב אָסָא֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵר֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו בְּעִ֖יר דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑יו וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יְהֹושָׁפָ֥ט בְּנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ

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.

25 וְנָדָ֣ב בֶּן־יָרָבְעָ֗ם מָלַךְ֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שְׁתַּ֔יִם לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנָתָֽיִם׃

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.

26 וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אָבִ֔יו וּ֨בְחַטָּאתֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶחֱטִ֖יא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

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.

27 וַיִּקְשֹׁ֨ר עָלָ֜יו בַּעְשָׁ֤א בֶן־אֲחִיָּה֙ לְבֵ֣ית יִשָּׂשכָ֔ר וַיַּכֵּ֣הוּ בַעְשָׁ֔א בְּגִבְּתֹ֖ון אֲשֶׁ֣ר לַפְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים וְנָדָב֙ וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל צָרִ֖ים עַֽל־גִּבְּתֹֽון׃

[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.

28 וַיְמִתֵ֣הוּ בַעְשָׁ֔א בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שָׁלֹ֔שׁ לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּמְלֹ֖ךְ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

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

29 וַיְהִ֣י כְמָלְכֹ֗ו הִכָּה֙ אֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יָרָבְעָ֔ם לֹֽא־הִשְׁאִ֧יר כָּל־נְשָׁמָ֛ה לְיָרָבְעָ֖ם עַד־הִשְׁמִדֹ֑ו כִּדְבַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּיַד־עַבְדֹּ֖ו אֲחִיָּ֥ה הַשִּׁילֹנִֽי׃

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).

30 עַל־חַטֹּ֤אות יָרָבְעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֔א וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶחֱטִ֖יא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּכַעְסֹ֕ו אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִכְעִ֔יס אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

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.

31 וְיֶ֛תֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י נָדָ֖ב וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה הֲלֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

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

32 וּמִלְחָמָ֨ה הָיְתָ֜ה בֵּ֣ין אָסָ֗א וּבֵ֛ין בַּעְשָׁ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵיהֶֽם׃ פ

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

33 בִּשְׁנַ֣ת שָׁלֹ֔שׁ לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה מָ֠לַךְ בַּעְשָׁ֨א בֶן־אֲחִיָּ֤ה עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּתִרְצָ֔ה עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וְאַרְבַּ֖ע שָׁנָֽה׃

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.

34 וַיַּ֥עַשׂ הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ יָרָבְעָ֔ם וּ֨בְחַטָּאתֹ֔ו אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶחֱטִ֖יא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס

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.