Asa's Good Reign
| Secondary Keywords | divided good king kingdom kings old testament |
|---|---|
| Scriptures | 1 Kings 15 2 Chronicles 14 2 Chronicles 15 |
1 Kings 151 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah.2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.3 And he walked in all the sins that 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 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 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 Uriah the Hittite.6 Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.7 The rest of the acts of Abijam 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 Abijam and Jeroboam.8 And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place.9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah,10 and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.11 And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his father had done.12 He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.13 He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron.14 But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the LORD all his days.15 And he brought into the house of the LORD the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.17 Baasha 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 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-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying,19 “Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah.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 Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.23 Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that 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 And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.25 Nadab the son of Jeroboam 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 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 the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.28 So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.29 And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite.30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the LORD, the God of Israel.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 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years.34 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. 2 Chronicles 141 Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years.2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.3 He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim4 and commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.5 He also took out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the incense altars. And the kingdom had rest under him.6 He built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest. He had no war in those years, for the LORD gave him peace.7 And he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought him, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they built and prospered.8 And Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah, armed with large shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin that carried shields and drew bows. All these were mighty men of valor.9 Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.10 And Asa went out to meet him, and they drew up their lines of battle in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.11 And Asa cried to the LORD his God, “O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.”12 So the LORD defeated the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.13 Asa and the people who were with him pursued them as far as Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell until none remained alive, for they were broken before the LORD and his army. The men of Judah carried away very much spoil.14 And they attacked all the cities around Gerar, for the fear of the LORD was upon them. They plundered all the cities, for there was much plunder in them.15 And they struck down the tents of those who had livestock and carried away sheep in abundance and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 151 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded,2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law,4 but when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.5 In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands.6 They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress.7 But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”8 As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azariah the son of Oded, he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD.9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.10 They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.11 They sacrificed to the LORD on that day from the spoil that they had brought 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep.12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul,13 but that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.14 They swore an oath to the LORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns.15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.16 Even Maacah, his mother, King Asa removed from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it at the brook Kidron.17 But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days.18 And he brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels.19 And there was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa. | |
