1Baasha was king of Israel. He marched out against Judah. It was in the 36th year of Asa’s rule over Judah. Baasha built up the walls of Ramah. He did it to keep people from leaving or entering the territory of Asa, the king of Judah.2Asa took the silver and gold from among the treasures of the LORD’s temple and his own palace. He sent it to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad was king of Aram. He was ruling in Damascus.3‘Let’s make a peace treaty between us,’ Asa said. ‘My father and your father had made a peace treaty between them. Now I’m sending you silver and gold. So break your treaty with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he’ll go back home.’4Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel. His army captured Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the cities in Naphtali where Baasha stored things.5Baasha heard about it. So he stopped building up Ramah and left that place.6Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah to Ramah. They carried away the stones and wood Baasha had been using. Asa used them to build up Geba and Mizpah.7At that time Hanani the prophet came to Asa, the king of Judah. He said to him, ‘You trusted the king of Aram. You didn’t trust in the LORD your God. So the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you.8The people of Cush and Libya had a strong army. They had large numbers of chariots and horsemen. But you trusted in the LORD. So he handed them over to you.9The LORD looks out over the whole earth. He gives strength to those who commit their lives completely to him. You have done a foolish thing. From now on you will be at war.’10Asa was angry with the prophet because of what he had said. In fact, he was so angry he put him in prison. At the same time, Asa treated some of his own people very badly.11The events of Asa’s rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of the kings of Judah and Israel.12In the 39th year of Asa’s rule his feet began to hurt. The pain was terrible. But even though he was suffering, he didn’t look to the LORD for help. All he did was go to the doctors.13In the 41st year of Asa’s rule he joined the members of his family who had already died.14He was buried in a tomb. He had cut it out for himself in the City of David. His body was laid on a wooden frame. It was covered with spices and different mixes of perfume. A huge fire was made to honour him.
2 Chronicles 16
English Standard Version
Asa’s Last Years
1In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. (1Ki 15:17; 1Ki 16:8; 2Ch 15:9)2Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king’s house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,3“There is a covenant[1] between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”4And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. (Ex 1:11)5And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease.6Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. (1Sa 9:9; 1Ki 16:1; 2Ch 19:2; Isa 31:1; Jer 17:5)8Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. (2Ch 12:3; 2Ch 13:16; 2Ch 13:18; 2Ch 14:9)9For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless[2] toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.” (1Sa 13:13; 1Ki 8:61; 1Ki 15:16; 1Ki 15:32; Pr 15:3; Zec 4:10)10Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time. (2Ch 18:26)11The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. (1Ki 15:23)12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians.13And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign.14They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer’s art, and they made a very great fire in his honor. (Ge 50:2; 2Ch 21:19; Jer 34:5; Mr 16:1; Joh 19:39)