2 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים 16

1 בִּשְׁנַ֨ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וָשֵׁשׁ֙ לְמַלְכ֣וּת אָסָ֔א עָלָ֞ה בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּ֖בֶן אֶת־הָרָמָ֑ה לְבִלְתִּ֗י תֵּ֚ת יֹוצֵ֣א וָבָ֔א לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃

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 וַיֹּצֵ֨א אָסָ֜א כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֗ב מֵאֹֽצְרֹ֛ות בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה וּבֵ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֶל־בֶּן־הֲדַד֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם הַיֹּושֵׁ֥ב בְּדַרְמֶ֖שֶׂק לֵאמֹֽר׃

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 בְּרִית֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔ךָ וּבֵ֥ין אָבִ֖י וּבֵ֣ין אָבִ֑יךָ הִנֵּ֨ה שָׁלַ֤חְתִּֽי לְךָ֙ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב לֵ֞ךְ הָפֵ֣ר בְּרִֽיתְךָ֗ אֶת־בַּעְשָׁא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה מֵעָלָֽי׃

“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 וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע בֶּן הֲדַ֜ד אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֗א וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח אֶת־שָׂרֵ֨י הַחֲיָלִ֤ים אֲשֶׁר־לֹו֙ אֶל־עָרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּכּוּ֙ אֶת־עִיֹּ֣ון וְאֶת־דָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת אָבֵ֣ל מָ֑יִם וְאֵ֥ת כָּֽל־מִסְכְּנֹ֖ות עָרֵ֥י נַפְתָּלִֽי׃

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 וַיְהִי֙ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ בַּעְשָׁ֔א וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל מִבְּנֹ֖ות אֶת־הָרָמָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁבֵּ֖ת אֶת־מְלַאכְתֹּֽו׃ ס

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

6 וְאָסָ֣א הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ לָקַח֙ אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּשְׂא֞וּ אֶת־אַבְנֵ֤י הָֽרָמָה֙ וְאֶת־עֵצֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה בַּעְשָׁ֑א וַיִּ֣בֶן בָּהֶ֔ם אֶת־גֶּ֖בַע וְאֶת־הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃ ס

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 וּבָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא בָּ֚א חֲנָ֣נִי הָרֹאֶ֔ה אֶל־אָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו בְּהִשָּׁ֨עֶנְךָ֜ עַל־מֶ֤לֶךְ אֲרָם֙ וְלֹ֤א נִשְׁעַ֙נְתָּ֙ עַל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־כֵּ֗ן נִמְלַ֛ט חֵ֥יל מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֖ם מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃

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 הֲלֹ֧א הַכּוּשִׁ֣ים וְהַלּוּבִ֗ים הָי֨וּ לְחַ֧יִל ׀ לָרֹ֛ב לְרֶ֥כֶב וּלְפָרָשִׁ֖ים לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וּבְהִשָּֽׁעֶנְךָ֥ עַל־יְהוָ֖ה נְתָנָ֥ם בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃

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 כִּ֣י יְהוָ֗ה עֵינָ֞יו מְשֹׁטְטֹ֤ות בְּכָל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְ֠הִתְחַזֵּק עִם־לְבָבָ֥ם שָׁלֵ֛ם אֵלָ֖יו נִסְכַּ֣לְתָּ עַל־זֹ֑את כִּ֣י מֵעַ֔תָּה יֵ֥שׁ עִמְּךָ֖ מִלְחָמֹֽות׃

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 וַיִּכְעַ֨ס אָסָ֜א אֶל־הָרֹאֶ֗ה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֙הוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית הַמַּהְפֶּ֔כֶת כִּֽי־בְזַ֥עַף עִמֹּ֖ו עַל־זֹ֑את וַיְרַצֵּ֥ץ אָסָ֛א מִן־הָעָ֖ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽיא׃

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 וְהִנֵּה֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י אָסָ֔א הָרִאשֹׁונִ֖ים וְהָאַחֲרֹונִ֑ים הִנָּ֤ם כְּתוּבִים֙ עַל־סֵ֣פֶר הַמְּלָכִ֔ים לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

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

12 וַיֶּחֱלֶ֣א אָסָ֡א בִּשְׁנַת֩ שְׁלֹושִׁ֨ים וָתֵ֤שַׁע לְמַלְכוּתֹו֙ בְּרַגְלָ֔יו עַד־לְמַ֖עְלָה חָלְיֹ֑ו וְגַם־בְּחָלְיֹו֙ לֹא־דָרַ֣שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֖י בָּרֹפְאִֽים׃

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 וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אָסָ֖א עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו וַיָּ֕מָת בִּשְׁנַ֛ת אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וְאַחַ֖ת לְמָלְכֹֽו׃

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

14 וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֣הוּ בְקִבְרֹתָ֗יו אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּֽרָה־לֹו֮ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִיד֒ וַיַּשְׁכִּיבֻ֗הוּ בַּמִּשְׁכָּב֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִלֵּא֙ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים וּזְנִ֔ים מְרֻקָּחִ֖ים בְּמִרְקַ֣חַת מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ־לֹ֥ו שְׂרֵפָ֖ה גְּדֹולָ֥ה עַד־לִמְאֹֽד׃ פ

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.