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1He also putaway the malecultprostitutes from the land and 2removedall the idolswhich his fathers had made.
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3He alsoremovedMaacah his mother from being queenmother, because she had made a horridimage as an Asherah; and Asacutdown her horridimage and 4burned it at the brookKidron.
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5But the highplaces were not takenaway; nevertheless6the heart of Asa was whollydevoted to the LORDall his days.
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7He brought into the house of the LORD the dedicatedthings of his father and his own dedicatedthings: silver and gold and utensils.
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8Now there was warbetweenAsa and Baashaking of Israelall their days.
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9Baashaking of Israelwent up againstJudah and 10fortifiedRamah11in order to prevent* anyone from going out or coming in to Asaking of Judah.
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Then 12Asatookall the silver and the gold which were left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king'shouse, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And 13KingAsasent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in 14Damascus, saying,
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"Let there be a 15treatybetween you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you a present of silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baashaking of Israel so that he will withdraw from me."
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So Ben-hadadlistened to KingAsa and sent the commanders of his armiesagainst the cities of Israel, and conquered16Ijon, 17Dan, 18Abel-beth-maacah and all19Chinneroth, besidesall the land of Naphtali.
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When Baashaheard of it, 20he ceasedfortifyingRamah and remained in 21Tirzah.
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Then KingAsamade a proclamation to allJudah-none was exempt -and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with whichBaasha had built. And KingAsabuilt with them 22Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
In this chapter we have a short history of the reign of Abijam, 1Ki 15:1-8 and of Asa, 1Ki 14:9-24, both kings of Judah; and of the reigns of Nadab the son of Jeroboam, and of Baasha, who destroyed his family, both kings of Israel, 1Ki 15:25-34.