17
1Baashaking of Israelwent up againstJudah and 2fortifiedRamah3in order to prevent* anyone from going out or coming in to Asaking of Judah.
18
Then 4Asatookall 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 5KingAsasent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in 6Damascus, saying,
19
"Let there be a 7treatybetween 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."
20
So Ben-hadadlistened to KingAsa and sent the commanders of his armiesagainst the cities of Israel, and conquered8Ijon, 9Dan, 10Abel-beth-maacah and all11Chinneroth, besidesall the land of Naphtali.
21
When Baashaheard of it, 12he ceasedfortifyingRamah and remained in 13Tirzah.
22
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 14Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
Jehoshaphat Succeeds Asa
2315Now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did and the citieswhich he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles* of the Kings of Judah? But in the time of his oldage he was diseased in his feet.
24
And Asaslept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and 16Jehoshaphat his sonreigned in his place.
Nadab, then Baasha, Rules over Israel
25 Now 17Nadab the son of JeroboambecamekingoverIsrael in the secondyear of Asaking of Judah, and he reignedoverIsraeltwoyears.
26
He didevil in the sight of the LORD, and 18walked in the way of his father and 19in his sinwhich he made Israelsin.
27
Then 20Baasha the son of Ahijah of the house of Issacharconspiredagainst him, and Baashastruck him down at 21Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and allIsrael were layingsiege to Gibbethon.
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.