1 Kings 15

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Judah’s King Abijam

15 In the eighteenth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah ² and reigned three years in Jerusalem.^(A) His mother’s name was Maacah^(B) daughter^[a] of Abishalom.

³ Abijam walked in all the sins his father before him had committed,^(C) and he was not completely devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been.^{(D) 4} But because of David, the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem.^{(E) 5} For David did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, and he did not turn aside from anything He had commanded him all the days of his life,^(F) except in the matter of Uriah^(G) the Hittite.

⁶ There had been war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam’s life.^{(H) 7} The rest of the events of Abijam’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.^(I) There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam.^{(J) 8} Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.^(K) His son Asa became king in his place.^(L)

Judah’s King Asa

⁹ In the twentieth year of Israel’s King Jeroboam,^(M) Asa became king of Judah ¹⁰ and reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s^[b] name was Maacah^(N) daughter^[c] of Abishalom.

¹¹ Asa did what was right in the Lord’s eyes, as his ancestor David had done.^{(O) 12} He banished the male cult prostitutes^(P) from the land and removed all of the idols that his fathers had made.^{(Q) 13} He also^(R) removed his grandmother^[d] Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image and burned it^(S) in the Kidron Valley.^{(T) 14} The high places were not taken away;^(U) but Asa’s heart was completely devoted to the Lord his entire life.^{(V) 15} He brought his father’s consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into the Lord’s temple: silver, gold, and utensils.^(W)

¹⁶ There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.^{(X) 17} Israel’s King Baasha went to war against Judah.^(Y) He built Ramah^(Z) in order to deny anyone access to Judah’s King Asa. ¹⁸ So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple^(AA) and the treasuries of the royal palace and put it into the hands of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad^(AB) son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Aram who lived in Damascus,^(AC) saying, ¹⁹ “There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father.^(AD) Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel^(AE) so that he will withdraw from me.”

²⁰ Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked Ijon,^(AF) Dan,^(AG) Abel-beth-maacah,^(AH) all Chinnereth,^(AI) and the whole land of Naphtali.^{(AJ) 21} When Baasha heard about it, he quit building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.^{(AK) 22} Then King Asa gave a command to everyone without exception in Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then King Asa built Geba^(AL) of Benjamin and Mizpah^(AM) with them.

²³ The rest of all the events of Asa’s reign,^(AN) along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.^(AO) But in his old age he developed a disease in his feet.^{(AP) 24} Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his ancestor David.^(AQ) His son Jehoshaphat^(AR) became king in his place.

Israel’s King Nadab

²⁵ Nadab son of Jeroboam^(AS) became king over Israel in the second year of Judah’s King Asa; he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶ Nadab did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his father and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.^(AT)

²⁷ Then Baasha^(AU) son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon^(AV) of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. ²⁸ In the third year of Judah’s King Asa,^(AW) Baasha killed Nadab^(AX) and reigned in his place.

²⁹ When Baasha became king, he struck down the entire house of Jeroboam.^(AY) He did not leave Jeroboam any survivors but^[e] destroyed his family according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite.^{(AZ) 30} This was because Jeroboam had provoked^[f] the Lord God of Israel by the sins he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.^(BA)

³¹ The rest of the events of Nadab’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.^{(BB) 32} There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.^(BC)

Israel’s King Baasha

³³ In the third year of Judah’s King Asa, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel and reigned in Tirzah^(BD) 24 years. ³⁴ He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of Jeroboam and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.^(BE)