1 Kings, 15

1. In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah

1. Now in the eighteenth year of King Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, Abi'jam began to reign over Judah.

2. and reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah descendant of Absalom.

2. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Ma'acah the daughter of Abish'alom.

3. In everything he followed the sinful example of his father before him; his heart was not wholly with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his ancestor had been.

3. And he walked in all the sins which his father did before him; and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

4. However, for David's sake, Yahweh his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, with a son to succeed him, so keeping Jerusalem secure;

4. Nevertheless for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem;

5. for David had done what Yahweh regarded as right and had never in all his life disobeyed whatever he commanded him (except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite).

5. because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uri'ah the Hittite.

6.

6. Now there was war between Rehobo'am and Jerobo'am all the days of his life.

7. The rest of the history of Abijam, his entire career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? Abijam and Jeroboam made war on each other.

7. The rest of the acts of Abi'jam, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abi'jam and Jerobo'am.

8. When Abijam fell asleep with his ancestors, he was buried in the City of David; his son Asa succeeded him.

8. And Abi'jam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his stead.

9. In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah

9. In the twentieth year of Jerobo'am king of Israel Asa began to reign over Judah,

10. and reigned for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah descendant of Absalom.

10. and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Ma'acah the daughter of Abish'alom.

11. Asa did what Yahweh regards as right, as his ancestor David had done.

11. And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done.

12. He drove the male prostitutes out of the country and got rid of all the idols which his ancestors had made.

12. He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

13. He even deprived his grandmother Maacah of the dignity of Great Lady for having made an obscenity for Asherah; Asa cut down her obscenity and burnt it in the ravine of the Kidron.

13. He also removed Ma'acah his mother from being queen mother because she had an abominable image made for Ashe'rah; and Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.

14. Though the high places were not abolished, Asa's heart was loyal to Yahweh throughout his life.

14. But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days.

15. He deposited his father's and his own dedicated gifts of silver, gold and sacred vessels in the Temple of Yahweh.

15. And he brought into the house of the LORD the votive gifts of his father and his own votive gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16. Asa and Baasha king of Israel were at war with each other throughout their reigns.

16. And there was war between Asa and Ba'asha king of Israel all their days.

17. Baasha king of Israel marched on Judah and fortified Ramah to blockade Asa king of Judah.

17. Ba'asha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

18. Asa then took all the remaining silver and gold left in the treasuries of the Temple of Yahweh and the royal palace. Entrusting this to his servants, King Asa sent them with the following message to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Aram who lived in Damascus,

18. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and gave them into the hands of his servants; and King Asa sent them to Ben-ha'dad the son of Tabrim'mon, the son of He'zi-on, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying,

19. 'Let us make an alliance between myself and yourself, between my father and your father! Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Come, break off your alliance with Baasha king of Israel, which will make him withdraw from me.'

19. "Let there be a league between me and you, as between my father and your father: behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold; go, break your league with Ba'asha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me."

20. Ben-Hadad listened favourably to King Asa, and sent the generals of his armies to attack the towns of Israel; he ravaged Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, all Chinneroth, and the whole territory of Naphtali.

20. And Ben-ha'dad hearkened to King Asa, and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and conquered Ijon, Dan, A'bel-beth-ma'acah, and all Chin'neroth, with all the land of Naph'tali.

21. When Baasha heard this he gave up fortifying Ramah and retired to Tirzah.

21. And when Ba'asha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he dwelt in Tirzah.

22. King Asa then summoned all Judah, no one was exempt; they took away the stones and timber with which Baasha had been fortifying Ramah, and King Asa used them to fortify Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

22. Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Ba'asha had been building; and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23. The rest of the history of Asa, all his valour, his entire career, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? In his old age, however, he contracted a disease of his feet.

23. Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.

24. When Asa fell asleep with his ancestors, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of his ancestor David; his son Jehoshaphat succeeded him.

24. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehosh'aphat his son reigned in his stead.

25. Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.

25. Nadab the son of Jerobo'am began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years.

26. He did what is displeasing to Yahweh; he copied his father's example and the sin into which he had led Israel.

26. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.

27. Baasha son of Ahijah, of the House of Issachar, plotted against him and murdered him at Gibbethon, a Philistine town which Nadab and all Israel were besieging.

27. Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah, of the house of Is'sachar, conspired against him; and Ba'asha struck him down at Gib'bethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gib'bethon.

28. Baasha killed Nadab and succeeded him in the third year of Asa king of Judah.

28. So Ba'asha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

29. No sooner was he king than he butchered the entire House of Jeroboam, not sparing a soul, and put an end to it, just as Yahweh had foretold through his servant Ahijah of Shiloh,

29. And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jerobo'am; he left to the house of Jerobo'am not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by his servant Ahi'jah the Shi'lonite;

30. because of the sins which he had committed and into which he had led Israel, and because he had provoked the anger of Yahweh, God of Israel.

30. it was for the sins of Jerobo'am which he sinned and which he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel.

31. The rest of the history of Nadab, his entire career, is this not recorded in

31. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

32. the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

32. And there was war between Asa and Ba'asha king of Israel all their days.

33. In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of Israel at Tirzah for twenty-four years.

33. In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and reigned twenty-four years.

34. He did what is displeasing to Yahweh; he copied the example of Jeroboam and the sin into which he had led Israel.

34. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jerobo'am and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.