The kingdom
King Asa's Reforms and War
King Asa introduces religious reforms in Judah, removes idols and deposes his mother Maacah as queen mother. Later, war breaks out with the king of Israel, Baasha, and Asa makes a pact with Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, to force Baasha back. In his old age, Asa is struck by disease in his feet before he dies and is succeeded by his son Jehoshaphat.
1 Kings 15,9-24
9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah.
וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת עֶשְׂרִ֔ים לְיָרָבְעָ֖ם מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מָלַ֥ךְ אָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
10He reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.[^1]
[^1]: Hebrew reads *his mother*; the term can denote a grandmother or other female ancestor. Maacah was also the mother of Abijam (v. 2).
וְאַרְבָּעִ֤ים וְאַחַת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ מַעֲכָ֖ה בַּת־אֲבִישָׁלֽוֹם׃
11Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as David his forefather had done.
וַיַּ֧עַשׂ אָסָ֛א הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כְּדָוִ֖ד אָבִֽיו׃
12He drove the cult prostitutes out of the land and swept away all the idols his fathers had made.
וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר הַקְּדֵשִׁ֖ים מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּ֙סַר֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַגִּלֻּלִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשׂ֖וּ אֲבֹתָֽיו׃
13He even removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa cut down her image and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
וְגַ֣ם ׀ אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה אִמּ֗וֹ וַיְסִרֶ֙הָ֙ מִגְּבִירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֥ה מִפְלֶ֖צֶת לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת אָסָא֙ אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֽוֹן׃
14The high places, however, were not removed; even so, Asa's heart was wholly devoted to the LORD all his life.
וְהַבָּמ֖וֹת לֹא־סָ֑רוּ רַ֣ק לְבַב־אָסָ֗א הָיָ֥ה שָׁלֵ֛ם עִם־יְהוָ֖ה כָּל־יָמָֽיו׃
15He brought into the house of the LORD the gifts he and his father had dedicated—silver, gold, and vessels.
וַיָּבֵא֙ אֶת־קָדְשֵׁ֣י אָבִ֔יו *וקדשו **וְקָדְשֵׁ֖י בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה כֶּ֥סֶף וְזָהָ֖ב וְכֵלִֽים׃
16There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their days.
וּמִלְחָמָ֨ה הָיְתָ֜ה בֵּ֣ין אָסָ֗א וּבֵ֛ין בַּעְשָׁ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵיהֶֽם׃
17Baasha king of Israel marched against Judah and fortified Ramah, to cut off all traffic to and from Asa king of Judah.
וַיַּ֨עַל בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּ֖בֶן אֶת־הָרָמָ֑ה לְבִלְתִּ֗י תֵּ֚ת יֹצֵ֣א וָבָ֔א לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
18So Asa took all the silver and gold left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD, along with the treasuries of the royal palace, and handed it over to his officials. King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Aram, who ruled in Damascus, with this message:
וַיִּקַּ֣ח אָ֠סָא אֶת־כָּל־הַכֶּ֨סֶף וְהַזָּהָ֜ב הַֽנּוֹתָרִ֣ים ׀ בְּאוֹצְר֣וֹת בֵּית־יְהוָ֗ה וְאֶת־אֽוֹצְרוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית *מלך **הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם בְּיַד־עֲבָדָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֞ם הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֗א אֶל־בֶּן־הֲ֠דַד בֶּן־טַבְרִמֹּ֤ן בֶּן־חֶזְיוֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֥ב בְּדַמֶּ֖שֶׂק לֵאמֹֽר׃
19"Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me."
בְּרִית֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔ךָ בֵּ֥ין אָבִ֖י וּבֵ֣ין אָבִ֑יךָ הִנֵּה֩ שָׁלַ֨חְתִּֽי לְךָ֥ שֹׁ֙חַד֙ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב לֵ֣ךְ הָפֵ֗רָה אֶת־בְּרִֽיתְךָ֙ אֶת־בַּעְשָׁ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה מֵעָלָֽי׃
20Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the cities of Israel. He struck down Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maacah, and all Kinneroth, along with all the land of Naphtali.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע בֶּן־הֲדַ֜ד אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֗א וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח אֶת־שָׂרֵ֨י הַחֲיָלִ֤ים אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֙ עַל־עָרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־עִיּ֣וֹן וְאֶת־דָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת אָבֵ֣ל בֵּֽית־מַעֲכָ֑ה וְאֵת֙ כָּל־כִּנְר֔וֹת עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ נַפְתָּלִֽי׃
21When Baasha heard of it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah.
וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ בַּעְשָׁ֔א וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל מִבְּנ֖וֹת אֶת־הֽ͏ָרָמָ֑ה וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּתִרְצָֽה׃
22Then King Asa summoned all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been building with. With them King Asa built up Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.
וְהַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אָסָ֜א הִשְׁמִ֤יעַ אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָה֙ אֵ֣ין נָקִ֔י וַיִּשְׂא֞וּ אֶת־אַבְנֵ֤י הָֽרָמָה֙ וְאֶת־עֵצֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה בַּעְשָׁ֑א וַיִּ֤בֶן בָּם֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֔א אֶת־גֶּ֥בַע בִּנְיָמִ֖ן וְאֶת־הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃
23As for all the rest of the acts of Asa, all his achievements, everything he did, and the cities he built, they are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah. In his old age, however, he suffered from a disease in his feet.
וְיֶ֣תֶר כָּל־דִּבְרֵֽי־אָ֠סָא וְכָל־גְּב֨וּרָת֜וֹ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֗ה וְהֶֽעָרִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּנָ֔ה הֲלֹֽא־הֵ֣מָּה כְתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה רַ֚ק לְעֵ֣ת זִקְנָת֔וֹ חָלָ֖ה אֶת־רַגְלָֽיו׃
24Asa rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his forefather, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב אָסָא֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּקָּבֵר֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו בְּעִ֖יר דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֑יו וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ יְהוֹשָׁפָ֥ט בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ פ