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

⁹ In the twentieth year of Jeroboam's reign over Israel, Asa became the king of Judah. ¹⁰ He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹ Asa did what the Lord approved like his ancestor David had done. ¹² He removed the male cultic prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the disgusting idols his ancestors had made. ¹³ He also removed Maacah his grandmother from her position as queen because she had made a loathsome Asherah pole. Asa cut down her Asherah pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. ¹⁴ The high places were not eliminated, yet Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime. ¹⁵ He brought the holy items that he and his father had made into the Lord's temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles.

¹⁶ Now Asa and King Baasha of Israel were continually at war with each other. ¹⁷ King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah and established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah. ¹⁸ Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord's temple and of the royal palace and handed it to his servants. He then told them to deliver it to Ben Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: ¹⁹ "I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. See, I have sent you silver and gold as a present. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land."

²⁰ Ben Hadad accepted King Asa's offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all the territory of Naphtali, including the region of Kinnereth. ²¹ When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying Ramah and settled down in Tirzah. ²² King Asa ordered all the men of Judah (no exemptions were granted) to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah. King Asa used the materials to build up Geba (in Benjamin) and Mizpah.

²³ The rest of the events of Asa's reign, including all his successes and accomplishments, as well as a record of the cities he built, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. Yet when he was very old he developed a foot disease. ²⁴ Asa passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king.

¹ Abijah passed away and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa replaced him as king. During his reign the land had rest for ten years.

² Asa did what the Lord his God desired and approved. ³ He removed the pagan altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. ⁴ He ordered Judah to seek the Lord God of their ancestors and to observe his law and commands. ⁵ He removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. The kingdom had rest under his rule.

⁶ He built fortified cities throughout Judah, for the land was at rest and there was no war during those years; the Lord gave him peace. ⁷ He said to the people of Judah: "Let's build these cities and fortify them with walls, towers, and barred gates. The land remains ours because we have followed the Lord our God and he has made us secure on all sides." So they built the cities and prospered.

⁸ Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from Benjamin who carried small shields and were adept archers; they were all skilled warriors. ⁹ Zerah the Cushite marched against them with an army of 1,000,000 men and 300 chariots. He arrived at Mareshah, ¹⁰ and Asa went out to oppose him. They deployed for battle in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

¹¹ Asa prayed to the Lord his God: "O Lord, there is no one but you who can help the weak when they are vastly outnumbered. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you and have marched on your behalf against this huge army. O Lord our God, don't let men prevail against you!"

¹² The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, ¹³ and Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar. The Cushites were wiped out; they were shattered before the Lord and his army. The men of Judah carried off a huge amount of plunder. ¹⁴ They defeated all the cities surrounding Gerar, for the Lord caused them to panic. The men of Judah looted all the cities, for they contained a huge amount of goods. ¹⁵ They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen in charge of the livestock. They carried off many sheep and camels and then returned to Jerusalem.