Asa’s Treaty with Aram
1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa,16:1–6 1Kg 15:17–22 Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah. He built Ramah in order to keep anyone from leaving or coming to King Asa of Judah.
2So Asa brought out the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the royal palace and sent it to Aram’s King Ben-hadad, who lived in Damascus, saying,
3“There’s a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Go break your treaty with Israel’s King Baasha so that he will withdraw from me.”
4Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies to the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim,16:4 Abel-beth-maacah in 1Kg 15:20 and all the storage cities16:4 = all Chinnereth in 1Kg 15:20 of Naphtali.
5When Baasha heard about it, he quit building Ramah and stopped his work.
6Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then he built Geba and Mizpah with them.
Hanani’s Rebuke of Asa
7At that time, the seer Hanani16:7 1Kg 16:1; 2Ch 19:2 came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, “Because you depended on the king of Aram and have not depended on the Lord your God,16:7 2Ch 14:11 the army of the king of Aram has escaped from you.
8Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen?16:8 2Ch 12:3 When you depended on the Lord, he handed them over to you.16:8 2Ch 14:9–13
9For the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth16:9 Gn 6:8; Ps 33:18; 34:15; Pr 15:3; Zch 4:10; 1Pt 3:12 to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him.16:9 2Ch 15:17 You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.”
10Asa was enraged with the seer and put him in prison16:10 Lit the house of stocks because of his anger over this. And Asa mistreated some of the people at that time.
Asa’s Death
11Note that the events16:11–14 1Kg 15:23–24 of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a disease in his feet, and his disease became increasingly severe. Yet even in his disease he didn’t seek the Lord but only the physicians.
13Asa rested with his ancestors; he died in the forty-first year of his reign.
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