1 I n the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah.

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nabat, Abijam became king over Judah.

2 H e reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah (Micaiah) daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).

He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

3 H e walked in all the sins of his father before him; and his heart was not blameless with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father.

And he walked in all the sins which his father had done before him. He was not faithful to the Lord with all his heart, like the heart of his father David.

4 N evertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him and establishing Jerusalem,

But the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem because of David. He gave him a son to rule after him and to keep Jerusalem strong.

5 B ecause David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from anything the Lord told him to do all the days of his life, except in what happened with Uriah the Hittite.

6 T here was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of life.

And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

7 T he rest of the acts 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.

Now the rest of the acts 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 A bijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the City of David. Asa his son reigned in his stead.

Abijam died and they buried him in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place. Asa Rules Judah

9 I n the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah.

In the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to rule as king of Judah.

10 F orty-one years he reigned in Jerusalem. His mother was Maacah (Micaiah) daughter of Abishalom (Absalom).

He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.

11 A nd Asa did right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father.

And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father.

12 H e put away the sodomites (male cult prostitutes) out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made or promoted.

He sent away the men from the land who sold the use of their bodies in their religion. He took away all the false gods his father had made.

13 A lso Maacah his mother he removed from being queen mother, because she had an image made for Asherah. Asa destroyed her image, burning it by the brook Kidron.

He stopped his mother Maacah from being queen mother, because she had made a hated object of the false goddess Asherah. And Asa cut down her hated object and burned it at the river Kidron.

14 B ut the high places were not removed. Yet Asa’s heart was blameless with the Lord all his days.

The high places were not taken away. But Asa was faithful to the Lord with all his heart for all his days.

15 H e brought the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he himself had dedicated into the house of the Lord—silver, gold, and vessels.

He brought into the house of the Lord the holy things of his father and his own holy things, silver, gold, and holy objects.

16 T here was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

17 B aasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built up Ramah, that he might allow no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah. He built walls around Ramah to stop anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

18 T hen Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house and delivered them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

Then Asa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the storerooms of the Lord’s house and the king’s house, and gave them to his servants. King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus. Asa said,

19 L et there be a league between me and you, as was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending you a present of silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.

“Let there be an agreement of peace between me and you, as between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your agreement of peace with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will leave me.”

20 S o Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. He destroyed Ijon, Dan, Abel-bethmaacah, all Chinneroth, and all the land of Naphtali.

21 W hen Baasha heard of it, he quit building up Ramah and dwelt in Tirzah.

When Baasha heard about it, he stopped building a wall around Ramah, and stayed in Tirzah.

22 T hen King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah—none was exempted. They carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building. And King Asa built up with them Geba of Benjamin, and also Mizpah.

Then King Asa made the news known to all Judah. There was no one who did not hear it. They carried away the stones of Ramah and its pieces of wood with which Baasha had built. And King Asa used them to build Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23 T he rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his strength and all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But when he was old he had a disease in his feet.

24 A sa slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father. Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.

Asa died and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. His son Jehoshaphat ruled in his place. Nadab Rules Israel

25 N adab son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned two years.

Jeroboam’s son Nadab became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah. And he ruled over Israel for two years.

26 H e did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, with which he made Israel sin.

He did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel sin.

27 B aasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

Then Baasha the son of Ahijah of the family of Issachar made plans against him. Baasha killed him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. Nadab and all Israel had been gathering their army in battle around Gibbethon.

28 I n the third year of Asa king of Judah Baasha slew Nadab and reigned in his stead.

So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and ruled in his place.

29 A s soon as he was king, Baasha killed all the household of Jeroboam. He left to not one who breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite—

As soon as he was king, Baasha killed all those of the family of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam any person alive, destroying them all. It happened just as the word of the Lord was spoken through God’s servant Ahijah the Shilonite.

30 B ecause of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and by which he made Israel to sin, and because of his provocation of the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger.

It happened because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and which he made Israel sin. He made the Lord God of Israel angry.

31 T he rest of Nadab’s acts, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

32 T here was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. Baasha Rules Israel

33 I n the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah began his reign of twenty-four years over all Israel in Tirzah.

In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah became king of all Israel at Tirzah. He ruled for twenty-four years.

34 H e did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, with which he made Israel sin.

He did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel sin.