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

⁹ And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa reigned over Judah. ¹⁰ And he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. And his grandmother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹ And Asa did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as David his father did. ¹² And he took away the sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. ¹³ And also he even removed his mother Maachah from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa destroyed her idol and burned it by the torrent Kidron. ¹⁴ But the high places were not removed. But Asa's heart was perfect with Jehovah all his days. ¹⁵ And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which he himself had dedicated, into the house of Jehovah, silver and gold and vessels.

¹⁶ And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. ¹⁷ And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, so that he might not allow any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. ¹⁸ And Asa took all the silver and the gold left in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying, ¹⁹ There is a treaty between you and me, between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent to you a present of silver and gold. Come and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he may depart from me.

²⁰ And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of the armies which he had against the cities of Israel, and struck Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. ²¹ And it happened when Baasha heard, he left off building Ramah and lived in Tirzah. ²² And King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah. None was free from it. And they took away the stones of Ramah, and its timber with which Baasha had built. And King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah with them.

²³ The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. ²⁴ And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father. And his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place.

¹ And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And his son Asa reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

² And Asa did the good and right in the eyes of Jehovah his God. ³ For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the Asherahs. ⁴ And he commanded Judah to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers, and to do the Law and the commandment. ⁵ He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images. And the kingdom was quiet before him.

⁶ And he built fortified cities in Judah. For the land had rest, and he had no war in those years, because Jehovah had given him rest. ⁷ And he said to Judah, Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates and bars, while the land is still before us. Because we have sought Jehovah our God, we have sought, and He has given us rest on every side. And they built and were blessed.

⁸ And Asa had an army which bore bucklers and spears, three hundred thousand out of Judah. And out of Benjamin there were two hundred and eighty thousand who bore shields and drew bows; all these mighty men of valor. ⁹ And Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men, and three hundred chariots. And he came to Mareshah. ¹⁰ And Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in order in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹ And Asa cried to Jehovah his God and said, Jehovah, it is nothing with You to help, whether with many or with him who has no power. Help us, O Jehovah our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Jehovah, You are our God. Do not let man prevail against You.

¹² And Jehovah struck the Cushites before Asa and before Judah. And the Cushites fled. ¹³ And Asa and the people with him pursued them to Gerar. And the Cushites fell, for none was left alive of them. For they were destroyed before Jehovah and before His army. And they carried away very much plunder. ¹⁴ And they struck all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of Jehovah came on them. And they plundered all the cities, for there was very much plunder in them. ¹⁵ And they struck the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance and returned to Jerusalem.