1 Kings 15

15 ¹ In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. ² He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. ³ He walked in all the sins his father had committed before him, and his heart was not fully devoted to our Father, as the heart of David his ancestor had been. ⁴ Nevertheless, for David's sake our Father gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, raising up his son after him and making Jerusalem stand firm. ⁵ For David had done what was right in the eyes of our Father and had not turned aside from anything he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. ⁶ There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. ⁷ As for the rest of the deeds of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. ⁸ Then Abijam rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place.

Asa Seeks the Father's Heart

⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah. ¹⁰ He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. ¹¹ Asa did what was right in the eyes of our Father, like David his ancestor. ¹² He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols his ancestors had made. ¹³ He even removed his grandmother Maacah from being queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for Asherah. Asa cut down her repulsive image and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁴ The high places were not removed, yet Asa's heart was fully devoted to our Father all his days. ¹⁵ He brought into the house of our Father the holy things his father had dedicated, and his own holy gifts—silver, gold, and sacred vessels.

War Between Asa and Baasha

¹⁶ There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. ¹⁷ Baasha king of Israel marched up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. ¹⁸ Then Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of our Father and the treasuries of the royal palace, and he handed them to his servants. King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion, king of Aram, who reigned in Damascus, with this message: ¹⁹ "Let there be a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Look, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me."

²⁰ Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He struck down Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all Kinnereth, along with all the land of Naphtali. ²¹ When Baasha heard this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and stayed in Tirzah. ²² Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah that Baasha had been building with. With them King Asa fortified Geba in Benjamin, and Mizpah. ²³ As for all the rest of the deeds of Asa, all his might, everything he did, and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? But in his old age he became diseased in his feet. ²⁴ Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his ancestor. And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.

Nadab's Evil Reign in Israel

²⁵ Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶ He did evil in the eyes of our Father, walking in the way of his father and in the sin he had caused Israel to commit. ²⁷ Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. ²⁸ Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place. ²⁹ As soon as he became king, he struck down the whole house of Jeroboam. He left Jeroboam no one that breathed, until he had destroyed them all, according to the word of our Father that he had spoken through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite— ³⁰ because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, by which he provoked our Father, the God of Israel, to anger.

³¹ As for the rest of the deeds of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ³² There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

Baasha Reigns in Israel

³³ In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. ³⁴ He did evil in the eyes of our Father, walking in the way of Jeroboam and in the sin he had caused Israel to commit.