New Living Translation NLT
The Message Bible MSG
1 Abijam began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel.
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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 reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.
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He ruled in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah daughter of Absalom.
3 He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the LORD his God, as his ancestor David had been.
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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 But for David’s sake, the LORD his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son to rule after him in 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 For David had done what was pleasing in the LORD ’s sight and had obeyed the LORD ’s commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning 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 Abijam and Jeroboam throughout Abijam’s reign.
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But war continued between Abijah and Jeroboam the whole time.
7 The rest of the events in Abijam’s reign and everything he did are recorded in There was constant 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 When Abijam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next 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 Asa began to rule over Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel.
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In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began his rule over Judah.
10 He reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.
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He ruled for forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah.
11 Asa did what was pleasing in the LORD ’s sight, as his ancestor David had done.
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Asa conducted himself well before God, reviving the ways of his ancestor David.
12 He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors 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 deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole. He cut down her obscene pole 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 Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful 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 Temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the various items 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 constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel.
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But through much of his reign there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel.
17 King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah.
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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 responded by removing all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace. He sent it with some of his officials to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message:
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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 there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel 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 to King Asa’s request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Kinnereth, and 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 of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.
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When Baasha got the report he quit fortifying Ramah and pulled back to Tirzah.
22 Then King Asa sent an order throughout Judah, requiring that everyone, without exception, help to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the town of Geba in Benjamin and the town of 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 the events in Asa’s reign—the extent of his power, everything he did, and the names of the cities he built—are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah (or Israel). In his old age his feet became diseased.
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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 When Asa died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next 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 Nadab son of Jeroboam began to rule over Israel in the second year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Israel 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 But he did what was evil in the LORD ’s sight and followed the example of his father, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led 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 Then Baasha son of Ahijah, from the tribe of Issachar, plotted against Nadab and assassinated him while he and the Israelite army were laying siege to the Philistine town of 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 King Asa’s reign in Judah, and he became the next king of Israel.
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Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and became Israel's next king.
29 He immediately slaughtered all the descendants of King Jeroboam, so that not one of the royal family was left, just as the LORD had promised concerning Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah from 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 was done because Jeroboam had provoked the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, by the sins he had committed and the sins he had led Israel to commit.
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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 the events in Nadab’s reign and everything he did are recorded in
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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 constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel.
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There was continuous war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel.
33 Baasha son of Ahijah began to rule over all Israel in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah. Baasha reigned in Tirzah 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 But he did what was evil in the LORD ’s sight and followed the example of Jeroboam, continuing the sins that Jeroboam had led 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.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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.