| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king of Judah, | 1Abijam began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. |
| 2and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. | 2He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. |
| 3And Abijam walked in all the sins that his father before him had committed, and his heart was not as fully devoted to the LORD his God as the heart of David his forefather had been. | 3He 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. |
| 4Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and to make Jerusalem strong. | 4But 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. |
| 5For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. | 5For 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. |
| 6And there was war between the houses of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Abijam’s life. | 6There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam throughout Abijam’s reign. |
| 7As for the rest of the acts of Abijam, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. | 7The rest of the events in Abijam’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. There was constant war between Abijam and Jeroboam. |
| 8And Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David, and his son Asa reigned in his place. | 8When Abijam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. Asa Rules in Judah |
| 9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Asa became king of Judah, | 9Asa began to rule over Judah in the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. |
| 10and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. | 10He reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom. |
| 11And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. | 11Asa did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight, as his ancestor David had done. |
| 12He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. | 12He banished the male and female shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. |
| 13He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley. | 13He 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. |
| 14The high places were not removed, but Asa’s heart was fully devoted to the LORD all his days. | 14Although the pagan shrines were not removed, Asa’s heart remained completely faithful to the LORD throughout his life. |
| 15And he brought into the house of the LORD the silver and gold and other articles that he and his father had dedicated. | 15He brought into the Temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the various items that he and his father had dedicated. |
| 16Now there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. | 16There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel. |
| 17Baasha king of Israel went to war against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. | 17King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah. |
| 18So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace. He entrusted it to his servants and sent them with this message to Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus: | 18Asa 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: |
| 19“Let there be a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.” | 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.” |
| 20And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and the whole land of Naphtali, including the region of Chinnereth. | 20Ben-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. |
| 21When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. | 21As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. |
| 22Then King Asa summoned all the men of Judah, with no exceptions, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin, as well as Mizpah. | 22Then 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. |
| 23Now the rest of the acts of Asa, along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? In his old age, however, he became diseased in his feet. | 23The 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. In his old age his feet became diseased. |
| 24And Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place. | 24When Asa died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, became the next king. Nadab Rules in Israel |
| 25In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years. | 25Nadab 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. |
| 26And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. | 26But 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. |
| 27Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city. | 27Then 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. |
| 28In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha killed Nadab and reigned in his place. | 28Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of King Asa’s reign in Judah, and he became the next king of Israel. |
| 29As soon as Baasha became king, he struck down the entire household of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, | 29He 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. |
| 30because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he had provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger. | 30This 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. |
| 31As for the rest of the acts of Nadab, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? | 31The rest of the events in Nadab’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. Baasha Rules in Israel |
| 32And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days. | 32There was constant war between King Asa of Judah and King Baasha of Israel. |
| 33In the third year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah twenty-four years. | 33Baasha 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. |
| 34And Baasha did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. | 34But 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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