2 Chronicles 16

¹ In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel marched on Judah and fortified Ramah toblock the communications of Asa king of Judah.

² Asa then took silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of Yahweh and the royal palace andsent this with the fol owing message to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus,

³ 'Let us make an alliance between me and you, between my father and your father! Look, I have sentyou silver and gold. Come, break off your al iance with Baasha king of Israel, which wil make him withdraw fromme.'

⁴ Ben-Hadad listened favourably to King Asa and sent the generals of his armies to attack the towns ofIsrael; he ravaged Ijon, Dan, Abel-Maim and al the storage towns of Naphtali.

⁵ When Baasha heard this he gave up fortifying Ramah, abandoning this work.

⁶ King Asa then had al Judah carry away the stones and timber with which Baasha had been fortifyingRamah, and used them to fortify Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ Then it was that Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said, 'Because you relied on the kingof Aram and not on Yahweh your God, the king of Aram's army wil slip through your fingers.

⁸ Did not the Cushites and Libyans form a vast army with great numbers of chariots and cavalry? Evenso, because you relied on Yahweh, he gave you the upper hand;

⁹ for Yahweh's eyes rove to and fro across the whole world to support those whose hearts are loyal tohim. You have acted like a fool in this respect; hence, from now on you wil have wars.'

¹⁰ Enraged with the seer, Asa had him put in the stocks in prison, being angry with him over this; at thesame time Asa ill-treated some of the people too.

¹¹ The history of Asa, from first to last, is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.

¹² In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa contracted a disease in his feet, which became very severe;in his il ness, however, he consulted not Yahweh but the doctors.

¹³ Asa then fel asleep with his ancestors, dying in the forty-first year of his reign.

¹⁴ He was buried in the tomb which he had ordered to be cut for him in the City of David. He was laid inthe burial chamber which was fil ed with perfume blended from all sorts of oils, and a very great funeral fire wasmade for him.