The Divided Kingdom

He committed all the sins his father had committed before him; he was not wholehearted with ADONAI his God, as David his forefather had been.

Nevertheless, for David's sake ADONAI his God gave him a lamp burning in Yerushalayim by establishing his son after him and making Yerushalayim secure.

For David had done what was right from ADONAI's perspective; he had not turned away from anything he had ordered him to do, as long as he lived, except in the matter of Uriyah the Hitti.

There was war between Rechav'am and Yarov'am as long as he lived.

Other activities of Aviyam and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah. But there was war between Aviyam and Yarov'am.

Aviyam slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the City of David. Then Asa his son became king in his place.

It was in the twentieth year of Yarov'am king of Isra'el that Asa began his reign over Y'hudah.

He ruled forty-one years in Yerushalayim; his [grand]mother's name was Ma'akhah the daughter of Avishalom.

Asa did what was right from the perspective of ADONAI, as David his ancestor had done.

He rid the land of cult-prosti-tutes and removed all the idols his ancestors had made.

He also deposed Ma'akhah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a disgusting image as an asherah. Asa cut down this image of hers and burned it in Vadi Kidron.

But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa was wholehearted with ADONAI throughout his life.

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

There was war between Asa and Ba'sha king of Isra'el as long as they both lived.

Ba'sha attacked Y'hudah, and he fortified Ramah to prevent anyone's leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Y'hudah.

Then Asa took all the silver and gold left among the treasures of the house of ADONAI and among the treasures of the royal palace; and, entrusting them to his servants, King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad the son of Tavrimmon, the son of Hezyon, king of Aram, who lived in Dammesek, with this message:

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

Ben-Hadad did as King Asa asked - he sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Isra'el, attacking 'Iyon, Dan, Avel-Beit-Ma'akhah, all of Kinn'rot and all the land of Naftali.

As soon as Ba'sha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and stayed in Tirtzah.

King Asa then issued a proclamation requiring every man in Y'hudah, with no exception, to come and carry off the stones and timber Ba'sha had used to fortify Ramah. With them King Asa fortified Geva of Binyamin and Mitzpah.

The other activities of Asa, all his power, all his accomplishments and the cities he fortified are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y'hudah. But in his old age he suffered from a disease in his legs.

Asa slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his ancestor. Then Y'hoshafat his son became king in his place.

It was in the second year of Asa king of Y'hudah that Nadav the son of Yarov'am began his reign over Isra'el, and he ruled Isra'el two years.

He did what was evil from ADONAI's perspective, following the example of his father and the sin through which he had made Isra'el sin.

Ba'sha the son of Achiyah, from the descendants of Yissakhar, conspired against him; and Ba'sha attacked him at Gib'ton, which belonged to the P'lishtim; for at the time Nadav and all Isra'el were besieging Gib'ton.