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

⁹ And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned hath Asa over Judah, ¹⁰ and forty and one years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Maachah daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹ And Asa doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, like David his father, ¹² and removeth the whoremongers out of the land, and turneth aside all the idols that his fathers made; ¹³ and also Maachah his mother -- he turneth her aside from being mistress, in that she made a horrible thing for a shrine, and Asa cutteth down her horrible thing, and burneth it by the brook Kidron; ¹⁴ and the high places have not turned aside; only, the heart of Asa hath been perfect with Jehovah all his days, ¹⁵ and he bringeth in the sanctified things of his father, and his own sanctified things, to the house of Jehovah, silver, and gold, and vessels.

¹⁶ And war hath been between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days, ¹⁷ and Baasha king of Israel goeth up against Judah, and buildeth Ramah, not to permit any one going out and coming in to Asa king of Judah. ¹⁸ And Asa taketh all the silver and the gold that are left in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the house of the king, and giveth them into the hand of his servants, and king Asa sendeth them unto Ben-Hadad, son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion king of Aram, who is dwelling in Damascus, saying, ¹⁹ A covenant is between me and thee, between my father and thy father; lo, I have sent to thee a reward of silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, and he goeth up from off me.'

²⁰ And Ben-Hadad hearkeneth unto king Asa, and sendeth the heads of the forces that he hath against cities of Israel, and smiteth Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and all Chinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali; ²¹ and it cometh to pass at Baasha's hearing, that he ceaseth from building Ramah, and dwelleth in Tirzah. ²² And king Asa hath summoned all Judah -- there is none exempt -- and they lift up the stones of Ramah, and its wood, that Baasha hath built, and king Asa buildeth with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

²³ And the rest of all the matters of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? Only, at the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet; ²⁴ and Asa lieth with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigneth in his stead.

¹ And Abijah lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David, and reign doth Asa his son in his stead: in his days was the land quiet ten years.

² And Asa doth that which is good, and that which is right, in the eyes of Jehovah his God, ³ and turneth aside the altars of the stranger, and the high places, and breaketh the standing-pillars, and cutteth down the shrines, ⁴ and saith to Judah to seek Jehovah, God of their fathers, and to do the law and the command; ⁵ and he turneth aside out of all cities of Judah the high places and the images, and the kingdom is quiet before him.

⁶ And he buildeth cities of bulwarks in Judah, for the land hath quiet, and there is no war with him in these years, because Jehovah hath given rest to him. ⁷ And he saith to Judah, 'Let us build these cities, and compass them with wall, and towers, two-leaved doors, and bars, while the land is before us, because we have sought Jehovah our God, we have sought, and He giveth rest to us round about;' and they build and prosper.

⁸ And there is to Asa a force bearing target and spear, out of Judah three hundred thousand, and out of Benjamin, bearing shield and treading bow, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these are mighty of valour. ⁹ And come out unto them doth Zerah the Cushite with a force of a thousand thousand, and chariots three hundred, and he cometh in unto Mareshah, ¹⁰ and Asa goeth out before him, and they set battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹ And Asa calleth unto Jehovah his God, and saith, 'Jehovah! it is nothing with Thee to help, between the mighty and those who have no power; help us, O Jehovah, our God, for on Thee we have leant, and in Thy name we have come against this multitude; O Jehovah, our God thou art; let him not prevail with Thee -- mortal man!

¹² And Jehovah smiteth the Cushim before Asa, and before Judah, and the Cushim flee, ¹³ and Asa and the people who are with him pursue them even to Gerar, and there fall of the Cushim, for they have no preserving, because they have been broken before Jehovah, and before His camp; and they bear away very much spoil, ¹⁴ and smite all the cities round about Gerar, for a fear of Jehovah hath been upon them, and they spoil all the cities, for abundant spoil hath been in them; ¹⁵ and also tents of cattle they have smitten, and they capture sheep in abundance, and camels, and turn back to Jerusalem.