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In the twentieth year of the reign of King Jeroboam of Israel, Asa became king of Judah,
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and he ruled forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother was Maacah, the daughter of Absalom.
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Asa did what pleased the Lord, as his ancestor David had done.
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He expelled from the country all the male and female prostitutes serving at the pagan places of worship, and he removed all the idols his predecessors had made.
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He removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made an obscene idol of the fertility goddess Asherah. Asa cut down the idol and burned it in Kidron Valley.
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Even though Asa did not destroy all the pagan places of worship, he remained faithful to the Lord all his life.
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He placed in the Temple all the objects his father had dedicated to God, as well as the gold and silver objects that he himself dedicated.
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King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel were constantly at war with each other as long as they were in power.
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Baasha invaded Judah and started to fortify Ramah in order to cut off all traffic in and out of Judah.
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So King Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the Temple and the palace, and sent it by some of his officials to Damascus, to King Benhadad of Syria, the son of Tabrimmon and grandson of Hezion, with this message:
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"Let us be allies, as our fathers were. This silver and gold is a present for you. Now break your alliance with King Baasha of Israel, so that he will have to pull his troops out of my territory."