THE FIRST BOOK OF
THE KINGS,

1 Kings 15 ©

Abijam reigns, and follows his father’s sins, v. 1, etc. Nevertheless God keeps His promise, 4. Abijam dies, 7. Asa reigns in his stead, reforming the worship service and morals, 9. He is warred against by Baasha, 16. Is assisted of Benhadad, 20. He dies, leaving Jehoshaphat his son in his stead, 23. Nadab reigns over Israel, 25. Baasha slays him, and destroys his father’s house, and reigns in his stead, 27.

1

NOW in thea eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned 1Abijam over Judah.

2

2Three years reigned heb in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was 3Maachah, the daughter of 4Abishalom.

3

And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not 5perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

4

Nevertheless 6for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him ac7lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and 8to establish Jerusalem:

5

Because David did 9that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, 10save only ind the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

6

And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days 11of his life.

7

Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written 12in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

8

And Abijam 13slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the 14city of David: and Asae his son reigned in his stead.

9

¶And in the 15twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.

10

And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his 16mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of 17Abishalom.

11

And Asa did that which was 18right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his 19father.

12

And he took away thef20sodomites out of the land, and removed all the 21idols that his 22fathers had made.

13

Andg also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being 23queen, because she had made an 24idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and 25burnt it by the brook 26Kidron.

14

But the 27high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was 28perfect with the LORD all his days.

15

And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated,h and the things 29which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16

¶And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel 30all their days.

17

And Baashai king of Israel went up against Judah, and built 31Ramah, 32that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

18

Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were 33left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his 34servants: and king Asa sent them toj Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of 35Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at 36Damascus, saying,

19

There 37is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he 38may depart from me.

20

So Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote 39Ijon, and 40Dan, and 41Abel-beth-maachah, and all 42Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

21

And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in 43Tirzah.

22

Then king Asa 44made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was 45exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of 46Benjamin, and 47Mizpah.

23

The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless 48in the time of his old age he was 49diseased in his 50feet.

24

And Asak slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the 51city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat hisl son reigned in his stead.

25

¶And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel 52two years.

26

And he did 53evil in the sight of the LORD, and 54walked in the way of his father, and in 55his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

27

¶And Baasha the son of 56Ahijah, of the 57house of Issachar, 58conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at 59Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

28

Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.

29

And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the 60house of Jeroboam; he 61left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed 62him, accordingm unto 63the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:

30

Because of the sins of Jeroboam 64which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

31

¶Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written 65in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

32

And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33

In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah 66to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.

34

And he did evil 67in the sight of the LORD, 68and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.