I Kings Chapter 15

I Kings 15 — English translation

Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.

1. 1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah.
2. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
3. 3He continued in all the sins that his father before him had committed; he was not wholehearted with the E TERNAL his God, like his forefather David.
4. 4Yet, for the sake of David, the E TERNAL his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, by raising up his descendant after him and by preserving Jerusalem.
5. 5For David had done what was pleasing to G OD and never turned throughout his life from all that had been commanded him, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
6. 6There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
7. 7The other events of Abijam’s reign and all his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah; there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
8. 8Abijam rested with his ancestors; he was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa succeeded him as king.
9. 9In the twentieth year of King Jeroboam of Israel, Asa became king over Judah.
10. 10He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
11. 11Asa did what was pleasing to G OD , as his forefather David had done.
12. 12He expelled the consecrated workers uncertain. from the land, and he removed all the idols that his ancestors had made.
13. 13He also deposed his mother Maacah from the rank of queen mother, because she had made an abominable thing for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her abominable thing and burnt it in the Wadi Kidron.
14. 14The shrines, indeed, were not abolished; however, Asa was wholehearted with the Eternal his God all his life.
15. 15He brought into the House of G OD all the consecrated things of his father and his own consecrated things and 2 Chron. 15.18. —silver, gold, and utensils.
16. 16There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel all their days.
17. 17King Baasha of Israel advanced against Judah, and he fortified Ramah to prevent anyone belonging to King Asa of Judah from going out or coming in.
18. 18So Asa took all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the House of G OD as well as the treasuries of the royal palace, and he entrusted them to his officials. King Asa sent them to King Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion of Aram, who resided in Damascus, with this message:
19. 19“There is a pact between you and me, and between your father and my father. I herewith send you a gift of silver and gold: Go and break your pact with King Baasha of Israel, so that he may withdraw from me.”
20. 20Ben-hadad responded to King Asa’s request; he sent his army officers against the towns of Israel and captured Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, as well as all the land of Naphtali.
21. 21When Baasha heard about it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and remained in Tirzah.
22. 22Then King Asa mustered all Judah, with no exemptions; and they carried away the stones and timber with which Baasha had fortified Ramah. With these King Asa fortified Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.
23. 23All the other events of Asa’s reign, and all his exploits, and all his actions, and the towns that he fortified, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Judah. However, in his old age he suffered from a foot ailment.
24. 24Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his forefather David. His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king.
25. 25Nadab son of Jeroboam had become king over Israel in the second year of King Asa of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
26. 26He did what was displeasing to G OD ; he continued in the ways of his father, in the sins that he caused Israel to commit.
27. 27Then Baasha son of Ahijah, of the House of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.
28. 28Baasha killed him in the third year of King Asa of Judah and became king in his stead.
29. 29As soon as he became king, he struck down all the House of Jeroboam; he did not spare a single soul belonging to Jeroboam until he destroyed it—in accordance with the word spoken through G OD ’s servant Ahijah the Shilonite—
30. 30because of the sins that Jeroboam committed and that he caused Israel to commit, thereby provoking the anger of the E TERNAL , the God of Israel.
31. 31The other events of Nadab’s reign and all his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
32. 32There was war between Asa and King Baasha of Israel all their days.
33. 33In the third year of King Asa of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king in Tirzah over all Israel—for twenty-four years.
34. 34He did what was displeasing to G OD ; he followed the ways of Jeroboam and the sins that he caused Israel to commit.

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