Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 Abijam became king of Judah in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Nebat's son.
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In the eighteenth year of the rule of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah took over the throne of Judah.
2 He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maacah, and she was Abishalom's daughter.
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He ruled in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Absalom.
3 Abijam followed all the sinful ways of his father before him. He didn't follow the LORD his God with all his heart like his ancestor David.
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He continued to sin just like his father before him. He was not truehearted to God as his grandfather David had been.
4 Even so, on account of David, the LORD his God gave Abijam a lamp in Jerusalem by supporting his son who succeeded him and by preserving Jerusalem.
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But despite that, out of respect for David, his God graciously gave him a lamp, a son to follow him and keep Jerusalem secure.
5 This was because David did the right thing in the LORD's eyes. David didn't deviate from anything the LORD commanded him throughout his life—except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
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For David had lived an exemplary life before God all his days, not going off on his own in willful defiance of God's clear directions (except for that time with Uriah the Hittite).
6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam as long as Abijam lived.
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But war continued between Abijah and Jeroboam the whole time.
7 The rest of Abijam's deeds and all that he did, aren't they written in the official records of Judah's kings? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
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The rest of Abijah's life, everything he did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. But the war with Jeroboam was the dominant theme.
8 Abijam lay down with his ancestors; he was buried in David's City. His son Asa succeeded him as king.
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Abijah died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Asa was king after him.
9 In the twentieth year of Israel's King Jeroboam, Asa became king of Judah.
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In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began his rule over Judah.
10 He ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah; she was Abishalom's daughter.
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He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah.
11 Asa did the right things in the LORD's eyes, just like his father David.
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Asa conducted himself well before God, reviving the ways of his ancestor David.
12 He removed the consecrated workers from the land, and he did away with all the worthless idols that his predecessors had made.
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He cleaned house: He got rid of the sacred prostitutes and threw out all the idols his predecessors had made.
13 He even removed his grandmother Maacah from the position of queen mother because she had made an image of Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
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Asa spared nothing and no one; he went so far as to remove Queen Maacah from her position because she had built a shockingly obscene memorial to the whore goddess Asherah. Asa tore it down and burned it up in the Kidron Valley.
14 Though the shrines weren't eliminated, nevertheless Asa remained committed with all his heart to the LORD throughout his life.
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Unfortunately, he didn't get rid of the local sex-and-religion shrines. But he was well-intentioned - his heart was in the right place, in tune with God.
15 He brought into the LORD's temple the silver and gold equipment that he and his father had dedicated.
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All the gold and silver vessels and artifacts that he and his father had consecrated for holy use he installed in The Temple.
16 There was war between Asa and Israel's King Baasha throughout their lifetimes.
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But through much of his reign there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel.
17 Israel's King Baasha attacked Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent Judah's King Asa from moving into that area.
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Baasha king of Israel started it by building a fort at Ramah and closing the border between Israel and Judah so no one could enter or leave Judah.
18 Asa took all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the LORD's temple and the royal palace, and he gave them to his officials. Then King Asa sent them with the following message to Aram's King Ben-hadad, Tabrimmon's son and Hezion's grandson, who ruled from Damascus:
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Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of The Temple of God and the royal palace, gave it to his servants, and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, with this message:
19 "Let's make a covenant similar to the one between our fathers. Since I have already sent you a gift of silver and gold, break your covenant with Israel's King Baasha so that he will leave me alone."
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"Let's make a treaty like the one between our fathers. I'm showing my good faith with this gift of silver and gold. Break your deal with Baasha king of Israel so he'll quit fighting against me."
20 Ben-hadad agreed with King Asa and sent his army commanders against the cities of Israel, attacking Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, along with all the land of Naphtali.
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Ben-Hadad went along with King Asa and sent out his troops against the towns of Israel. He attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and the entire region of Kinnereth, including Naphtali.
21 As soon as Baasha learned this, he stopped building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.
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When Baasha got the report he quit fortifying Ramah and pulled back to Tirzah.
22 King Asa issued an order to every Judean without exception: all the people carried away the stone and timber that Baasha was using to build Ramah, and King Asa used it to build Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
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Then King Asa issued orders to everyone in Judah - no exemptions - to haul away the logs and stones Baasha had used in the fortification of Ramah and use them to fortify Geba in Benjamin and Mizpah.
23 The rest of Asa's deeds, his strength, and all that he did, as well as the towns that he built, aren't they written in the official records of Judah's kings? When he was old, Asa developed a severe foot disease.
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A full account of Asa's life, all the great things he did and the fortifications he constructed, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. In his old age he developed severe gout.
24 He died and was buried with his ancestors in David's City. His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him as king.
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Then Asa died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. His son Jehoshaphat became king after him.
25 Jeroboam's son Nadab became king of Israel in the second year of Judah's King Asa. He ruled over Israel for two years.
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Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa's rule in Judah. He was king of Israel two years.
26 He did evil in the LORD's eyes by walking in the way of his father Jeroboam and the sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
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He was openly evil before God - he followed in the footsteps of his father who both sinned and made Israel sin.
27 Baasha, Ahijah's son from the house of Issachar, plotted against him and attacked him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines. Nadab and all Israel were laying siege against Gibbethon.
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Baasha son of Ahijah of the tribe of Issachar ganged up on him and attacked him at the Philistine town of Gibbethon while Nadab and the Israelites were doing battle there.
28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Judah's King Asa and ruled in Nadab's place.
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Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became Israel's next king.
29 When he became king, Baasha attacked the entire house of Jeroboam. He didn't allow any living person to survive in Jeroboam's family; he wiped them out according to the LORD's word spoken by the LORD's servant Ahijah of Shiloh.
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As soon as he was king he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family. There wasn't a living soul left to the name of Jeroboam; Baasha wiped them out totally, just as God's servant Ahijah of Shiloh had prophesied
30 This happened because of Jeroboam's sins that he committed and that he caused Israel to commit, and because he angered the LORD, Israel's God.
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- punishment for Jeroboam's sins and for making Israel sin, for making the God of Israel thoroughly angry.
31 The rest of Nadab's deeds and all that he did, aren't they written in the official records of Israel's kings?
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The rest of Nadab's life, everything else he did, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
32 There was war between Asa and Israel's King Baasha throughout their lifetimes.
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There was continuous war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel.
33 In the third year of Judah's King Asa, Baasha, Ahijah's son, became king over all Israel. He ruled in Tirzah for twenty-four years.
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In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king in Tirzah over all Israel. He ruled twenty-four years.
34 He did evil in the LORD's eyes by walking in Jeroboam's ways and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.
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He was openly evil before God, walking in the footsteps of Jeroboam, who both sinned and made Israel sin.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.