1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.tn Heb “and he built up Ramah so as to not permit going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.”

2 Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message:

3 “I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made.tn Heb “[May there be] a covenant between me and you [as there was] between my father and your father.” See, I have sent you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.”tn Heb “so he will go up from upon me.”

4 Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel.tn Heb “and Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies which belonged to him against the cities of Israel.” They conqueredtn Heb “They struck down.” Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim,sn In the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 15:20, this city’s name appears as Abel Beth Maacah. These appear to be variant names for the same place. and all the storage cities of Naphtali.

5 When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifyingtn Heb “building.” Ramah and abandoned the project.tn Heb “and he caused his work to cease.”

6 King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah.tn Heb “and King Asa took all Judah and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its wood which Baasha had built.” He used the materials to build uptn Heb “and he built with them.” Geba and Mizpah.

7 At that time Hanani the prophettn Heb “the seer.” visited King Asa 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 from your hand.

8 Did not the Cushites and Libyans have a huge army with chariots and a very large number of horsemen? But when you relied on the Lord, he handed them over to you!

9 Certainlytn Or “for.” the Lord watches the whole earth carefullytn Heb “the eyes of the Lord move quickly through all the earth.” and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him.tn Heb “to strengthen himself with their heart, [the one] complete toward him.” You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war.

10 Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail.tn Heb “and Asa was angry at the seer, and he put him [in] the house of stocks, because of his rage with him over this.” Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time.

11 The events of Asa’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.tn Heb “Look, the events of Asa, the former and the latter, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”

12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a foot disease.tn Heb “became sick in his feet.” Though his disease was severe, he did not seek the Lord, but only the doctors.tn Heb “unto upwards [i.e., very severe [was] his sickness, and even in his sickness he did not seek the Lord, only the healers.

13 Asa passed awaytn Heb “lay down with his fathers, and he died.” in the forty-first year of his reign.

14 He was buried in the tomb he had carved out in the City of David.sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7. They laid him to rest on a bier covered with spices and assorted mixtures of ointments. They made a huge bonfire to honor him.tn Heb “and they burned for him a large fire, very great.”