12
For he took away the male
cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
13
And he also removed Maachah, his mother, from
being queen because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol and burnt
it by the brook Kidron.
14
But the high places were not removed; nevertheless, Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.
15
And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver and gold and vessels.
16
And there was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days.
17
And Baasha, king of Israel, went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might not allow any 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 delivered them into the hand of his slaves, and King Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
19
There is a covenant between me and thee
and between my father and thy father; behold, I have sent unto thee a bribe of silver and gold; come and break thy covenant with Baasha, king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
20
So Benhadad hearkened unto King Asa and sent the princes of the hosts, which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon and Dan and Abelbethmaachah and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.
21
And when Baasha heard this, he left off building of Ramah and dwelt in Tirzah.
22
Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; no one
was exempted; and they took away the stones and timber of Ramah, with which Baasha had been building; and King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.