1 Kings 15:9-22 - LSB - Legacy Standard Bible

1 Kings 15:9-22

Asa Reigns over Judah

9 Now in the twentieth year of Jeroboam the king of Israel, Asa began to reign as king of Judah. 10 And he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem; and ^ahis mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom. 11 ^aAnd Asa did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, like David his father. 12 ^aHe also put away the male cult prostitutes from the land and ^bremoved all the idols which his fathers had made. 13 ¹^aHe also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother, because she had made a horrid image ²for Asherah; and Asa cut down her horrid image and ^bburned it at the brook Kidron. 14 ^aBut the high places were not removed; nevertheless ^bthe heart of Asa was ¹wholly devoted to Yahweh all his days. 15 ^aAnd he brought into the house of Yahweh the holy things of his father and his own holy things: silver and gold and utensils.

Asa Wars Against Baasha

16 ^aNow there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. 17 ^aAnd Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and ^bbuilt up Ramah ^cin order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 18 Then ^aAsa took all the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and the treasuries of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And ^bKing Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in ^cDamascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a ^acovenant between ¹you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold; go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 20 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his military force against the cities of Israel, and struck down ^aIjon, ^bDan, ^cAbel-beth-maacah and all ^dChinneroth, besides all the land of Naphtali. 21 Now it happened that when Baasha heard of it, ^ahe ceased building up Ramah and remained in ^bTirzah. 22 Then King Asa caused an announcement to be heard throughout all Judah—none was exempt—and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building. And King Asa built with them ^aGeba of Benjamin and Mizpah.