The Divided Kingdom

In those times people going about their business were insecure, and great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands;

so that they were shattered to pieces, nation against nation and city against city, as God troubled them with every kind of distress.

But you, be strong, and don't slack off; for your work will be rewarded."

When Asa heard these words prophesied by 'Oded the prophet, it gave him courage to throw the disgusting things out of the whole land of Y'hudah and Binyamin and out of the cities he had captured in the hills of Efrayim; he also renewed the altar of ADONAI which was in front of the vestibule of ADONAI.

Then he gathered all Y'hudah and Binyamin, along with those from Efrayim, M'nasheh and Shim'on who were staying with him (for they had defected to him in large numbers upon seeing that ADONAI his God was with him).

They assembled together at Yerushalayim in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign.

That day they sacrificed to ADONAI 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought;

and they entered into a covenant to seek ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and with all their being;

[they also agreed] that whoever refused to seek ADONAI the God of Isra'el should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman.

They swore this to ADONAI in a loud voice, with shouting and blowing of trumpets and shofars.

All Y'hudah was full of joy at this oath; for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with all their will; and they found him, and ADONAI gave them rest all around.

Asa the king also deposed Ma'akhah his [grand]mother from her position as queen mother, because she had made a disgusting image for an asherah. Asa cut down this image of hers, chopped it into tiny pieces and burned it in Vadi Kidron.

But the high places were not removed from Isra'el. Nevertheless, Asa was wholehearted throughout his life.

He brought into the house of God all the articles his father had consecrated, also the things he himself had consecrated - silver, gold and utensils.

There was no more war through the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Ba'asha king of Isra'el attacked Y'hudah, and he fortified Ramah to prevent anyone's leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Y'hudah.

Then Asa removed silver and gold from the treasures of the house of ADONAI and the royal palace; and sent this message to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who lived in Dammesek:

"There is a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Here, I am sending you silver and gold; go, and break your covenant with Ba'asha king of Isra'el, so that he will leave me alone."

Ben-Hadad did as King Asa had asked - he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Isra'el, attacking 'Iyon, Dan, Avel-Mayim and all the storage-cities of Naftali.

As soon as Ba'asha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work.

Asa the king took all Y'hudah and carried off the stones and timber which Ba'asha had used to fortify Ramah. With them he fortified Geva and Mitzpah.

It was around then that Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Y'hudah and said to him, "Because you relied on the king of Aram and didn't rely on ADONAI your God, the king of Aram's army has escaped from your power.

The army of the Ethiopians and Luvim was huge, wasn't it? How many chariots and horsemen did they have? Yet because you relied on ADONAI, he handed them over to you.

For the eyes of ADONAI move here and there throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong on behalf of those who are wholehearted toward him. You acted foolishly in this regard; for from now on, you will have war."

But Asa became angry at the seer; in fact, because of his rage at him over this matter he threw him in prison. Moreover, at the same time, he mistreated some of the people.