The acts of Abiam and of Asa kings of Juda. And of Nadab and Baasa kings
of Israel.
15:1. Now in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, the son of
Nabat, Abiam reigned over Juda.
15:2. He reigned three years in Jerusalem: the name of his mother was
Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom.
Maacha, etc... She is called elsewhere Michaia, daughter of Uriel; but
it was common in those days for the same person to have two names.
15:3. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done
before him: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was
the heart of David, his father.
15:4. But for David's sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in
Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:
15:5. Because David had done that which was right in the eyes of the
Lord, and had not turned aside from any thing that he commanded him, all
the days of his life, except the matter of Urias, the Hethite.
15:6. But there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam all the time of his
life.
15:7. And the rest of the words of Abiam, and all that he did, are they
not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda?
And there was war between Abiam and Jeroboam.
15:8. And Abiam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city
of David: and Asa, his son, reigned in his stead.
15:9. So in the twentieth year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, reigned Asa,
king of Juda,
15:10. And he reigned one and forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's
name was Maacha, the daughter of Abessalom.
His mother, etc... That is, his grandmother; unless we suppose, which is
not improbable, that the Maacha here named is different from the Maacha
mentioned, ver. 2.
15:11. And Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as did
David, his father:
15:12. And he took away the effeminate out of the land, and removed all
the filth of the idols, which his fathers had made.
15:13. Moreover, he also removed his mother, Maacha, from being the
princess in the sacrifices of Priapus, and in the grove which she had
consecrated to him: and he destroyed her den, and broke in pieces the
filthy idol, and burnt it by the torrent Cedron:
15:14. But the high places he did not take away. Nevertheless, the heart
of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his days:
The high places... There were excelsa or high places of two different
kinds. Some were set up, and dedicated to the worship of idols, or
strange gods; and these Asa removed, 2 Par. 14.2; others were only
altars of the true God, but were erected contrary to the law, which
allowed of no sacrifices but in the temple; and these were not removed
by Asa.-Ibid. Perfect with the Lord... Asa had his faults; but never
forsook the worship of the Lord.
15:15. And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and
he had vowed, into the house of the Lord, silver and gold, and vessels.
15:16. And there was war between Asa, and Baasa, king of Israel, all
their days.
15:17. And Baasa, king of Israel, went up against Juda, and built Rama,
that no man might go out or come in of the side of Asa, king of Juda.
15:18. Then Asa took all the silver and gold that remained in the
treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's
house, and delivered it into the hands of his servants: and sent them to
Benadad, son of Tabremon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in
Damascus, saying:
15:19. There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and
thy father: therefore I have sent thee presents of silver and gold: and
I desire thee to come, and break thy league with Baasa, king of Israel,
that he may depart from me.
15:20. Benadad, hearkening to king Asa, sent the captains of his army
against the cities of Israel, and they smote Ahion, and Dan, and
Abeldomum Maacha, and all Cenneroth; that is all the land of Nephthali.
15:21. And when Baasa had heard this, he left off building Rama, and
returned into Thersa.
15:22. But king Asa sent word into all Juda, saying: Let no man be
excused: and they took away the stones from Rama, and the timber
thereof, wherewith Baasa had been building, and with them king Asa built
Gabaa of Benjamin, and Maspha.
15:23. But the rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his strength, and
all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in
the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda? But in the time
of his old age he was diseased in his feet.
15:24. And he slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the
city of David, his father. And Josaphat, his son, reigned in his place.
15:25. But Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, reigned over Israel the second
year of Asa, king of Juda: and he reigned over Israel two years.
15:26. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways
of his father, and in his sins, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
15:27. And Baasa, the son of Ahias, of the house of Issachar, conspired
against him, and slew him in Gebbethon, which is a city of the
Philistines: for Nadab and all Israel besieged Gebbethon.
15:28. So Baasa slew him in the third year of Asa, king of Juda, and
reigned in his place.
15:29. And when he was king, he cut off all the house of Jeroboam: he
left not so much as one soul of his seed, till he had utterly destroyed
him, according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken in the hand
of Ahias, the Silonite:
15:30. Because of the sin of Jeroboam, which he had sinned, and
wherewith he had made Israel to sin, and for the offence wherewith he
provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.
15:31. But the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they
not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
15:32. And there was war between Asa and Baasa, the king of Israel, all
their days.
15:33. In the third year of Asa, king of Juda, Baasa, the son of Ahias,
reigned over all Israel, in Thersa, four and twenty years.
15:34. And he did evil before the Lord, and walked in the ways of
Jeroboam, and in his sins, wherewith he made Israel to sin.