1 Kings 15

Kings Abijam & Asa (Judah) and Nadab & Baasha (Israel)

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam’s rule in Israel, Abijam took over as king in Judah.

2 He ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mama’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

3 He walked in all the sins his pops had committed before him. His heart was not fully with the Lord his God, like the heart of his daddy David.

4 But for David’s sake, the Lord his God kept a lamp burning for him in Jerusalem, raising up his son after him and keeping Jerusalem standing.

5 Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and never curved from anything He commanded him all the days of his life, except for that whole Uriah the Hittite thing.

6 And there was constant war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their lives.

7 As for the rest of Abijam’s story and all he did, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah, And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

8 Abijam passed away and they buried him in the City of David. And his son Asa took over as king.

Asa Rules Judah

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam’s rule over Israel, Asa took over as king in Judah.

10 He ruled in Jerusalem for forty-one years. His grandma’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just like his daddy David.

12 He kicked out the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made.

13 He even stripped his grandma Maacah of her queen mother title because she had made a gross Asherah pole. Asa chopped down her Asherah pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

14 The high places were not completely removed, but Asa’s heart was fully with the Lord all his days.

15 He brought into the Lord’s temple the stuff his pops and he had dedicated, silver, gold, and other treasures.

16 There was constant war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their lives.

17 Baasha king of Israel rolled up and built Ramah to cut off access to Asa king of Judah.

18 So Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the king’s palace and handed it over to his officials. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying,

19 “Let us get this alliance back popping between me and you, just like between my pops and your pops. Look, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Go break you are alliance with Baasha king of Israel so he will bounce from me.”

20 Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa and sent his army commanders against the cities of Israel. He hit Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah, and all Chinneroth, along with all the territory of Naphtali.

21 When Baasha heard about it, he stopped building Ramah and went back to Tirzah.

22 Then King Asa called out to all Judah, no exemptions! and they carried away the stones and timber Baasha had used to build Ramah. King Asa used them to build Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.

23 As for the rest of Asa’s story, all his power, all he did, and the cities he built, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah, But when he got old, his feet got messed up.

24 Asa passed away and joined his ancestors. He was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his father. And his son Jehoshaphat took over as king.

Nadab Rules Israel

25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in the second year of Asa’s rule in Judah, and he ruled over Israel for two years.

26 He did what was whack in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of his pops and in his sin which he caused Israel to commit.

27 Baasha son of Ahijah, from the house of Issachar, conspired against him. Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon.

28 Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa’s rule in Judah and became king in his place.

Baasha Rules Israel

29 As soon as he became king, he wiped out Jeroboam’s entire family. He did not leave a single living soul in Jeroboam’s house until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite.

30 Because of the sins Jeroboam committed and caused Israel to commit, and because he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger.

31 As for the rest of Nadab’s story and all he did, is it not written in the book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel,

32 And there was constant war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their lives.

33 In the third year of Asa’s rule in Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king over all Israel in Tirzah, and he ruled for twenty-four years.

34 He did what was whack in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin which he caused Israel to commit.