1 Kings 15:9-24 - The Reign Of Asa In Judah

⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. ¹⁰ He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [was] Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹ Asa did right in the eyes of Yahweh, like David his ancestor. ¹² He put away the male shrine prostitutes from the land, and he removed all of the idols that his ancestors made. ¹³ Also, he had Maacah his mother removed from the office of queen mother, [as] she had made a repulsive image for the Asherah. Asa also cut down her repulsive image and burned it in the Wadi Kidron. ¹⁴ But the high places he did not remove. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was completely with Yahweh all of his days. ¹⁵ He brought the holy objects of his father and his [own] holy objects to the house of Yahweh, silver and gold and utensils.

¹⁶ There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all of their days. ¹⁷ Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and he built Ramah {to hinder the coming and going of anyone to Asa} king of Judah. ¹⁸ Asa took all of the silver and gold remaining in the storerooms of the house of Yahweh and in the treasury rooms of the house of the king, and he gave them into the hand of his servants; so King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad the son of Tabrimmon the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, ¹⁹ "[Let there be] a covenant between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel that he may go up [away] from me."

²⁰ Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa, and he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and he attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, and all of Kinnereth, in addition to all the land of Naphtali. ²¹ When Baasha heard, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. ²² Then King Asa proclaimed among all of Israel that there was no one free from obligation, so they carried the stones of Ramah and its wood with which Baasha had built, and King Asa rebuilt Geba in Benjamin with them, and the Mizpah.

²³ The remainder of the acts of Asa, all of his achievements, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah? But at the time of his old age, {he developed a foot disease}. ²⁴ Asa slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David his ancestor; Jehoshaphat his son became king in his place.

¹ And Abijah slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son became king in his place. In his days the land was at rest ten years.

² Asa did that which [was] good and right in the eyes of Yahweh his God. ³ He removed the foreign altars and high places, broke down the stone pillars, and cut down the Asherahs. ⁴ And he commanded Judah to seek Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, and to keep the law and the commandment. ⁵ And he removed the high places and the incense stands from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom had rest under him.

⁶ And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land was at rest. Under him there was no war in those years, for Yahweh had given rest to him. ⁷ And he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and surround [them with] walls, towers, gates, and bars while the land [is] before us, because we have sought Yahweh our God. We have sought and he has given rest to us on every side." So they built and had success.

⁸ And Asa had an army [of] three hundred thousand from Judah, bearing shields and spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin [who] carried shields and drew bows. All of these [were] mighty warriors of strength. ⁹ Zerah the Cushite came out against them with an army of a thousand thousands and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah. ¹⁰ And Asa went out before him, and a battle was put in order in the valley of Zepah at Mareshah.

¹¹ Then Asa cried out to Yahweh his God. And he said, "O Yahweh, there is none with you to help between the great and the powerless. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for we rely upon you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Yahweh, you [are] our God! Let no man prevail against you!"

¹² So Yahweh defeated the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled. ¹³ Then Asa and the army with him pursued them to Gerar. And [many] from the Cushites fell, for they had no deliverance, for they were shattered before Yahweh and before his army. And they carried away much war booty. ¹⁴ And they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of Yahweh was upon them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them. ¹⁵ And they also struck the tents of the herdsmen and carried away many sheep and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.