1Abija kom til magten i Juda i kong Jeroboam af Israels 18. regeringsår,2og han regerede i Jerusalem i tre år.[1] Hans mor hed Ma’aka og var barnebarn[2] af Absalom. (2.Krøn 13,2)3Han syndede nøjagtig som sine forgængere, for han var ikke af hjertet overgivet til Herren, sådan som David var.4Men for Davids skyld gav Herren ham alligevel en søn, der kunne overtage tronen i Juda og lade Jerusalem bestå.5For David havde adlydt Gud livet igennem, bortset fra affæren med hittitten Urias.6Under hele sin opvækst oplevede Abija ikke andet end fjendtligheder mellem Jeroboam og Rehabeam,7og da han selv blev konge, brød krigen ud for alvor. Resten af Abijas bedrifter er nedskrevet i Judas kongers krønikebog.8Da han døde, blev han begravet i familiegravstedet i Davidsbyen, og hans søn Asa overtog tronen efter ham.
Asa som konge over Juda
9Asa blev konge over Juda i kong Jeroboam af Israels 20. regeringsår,10og han regerede i Jerusalem i 41 år. Hans „mor”[3] hed Ma’aka og var barnebarn af Absalom. (2.Krøn 11,20)11Asa gjorde, hvad der var godt i Herrens øjne—ligesom hans forfar David.12Han landsforviste de mandlige og kvindelige prostituerede, som holdt til ved offerstederne på højene, og han fjernede alle de afgudsstøtter, som hans forfædre havde opstillet der.13Han fratog tilmed Ma’aka hendes privilegier som enkedronning, fordi hun havde ladet opstille et modbydeligt frugtbarhedssymbol for gudinden Ashera. Han huggede afgudsbilledet i stykker og brændte det i Kedrondalen.14Det lykkedes ham ikke at udrydde alle offerhøjene i landet, men ønsket om at gøre Herrens vilje kendetegnede hele hans liv.15I templet samlede han alle de kostbarheder, som hans far havde indviet til Herren, sammen med de sølv- og guldkar, han selv skænkede.
Israel optrapper krigen med Juda
16Kong Asa af Juda lå i konstant krig med Israel i hele sin regeringsperiode, og situationen forværredes, da Basha blev konge i Israel.17Kong Basha drog straks i krig mod Juda. Han indtog og befæstede byen Rama i grænseområdet mellem de to riger og blokerede dermed de vigtigste handelsveje til og fra Judas rige.18Da tog kong Asa alt det guld og sølv, der var tilbage i Herrens hus og kongepaladset og befalede nogle af sine mænd at bringe det til den aramæiske konge, Ben-Hadad, som havde residens i Damaskus (han var søn af Tabrimmon, som var søn af Hezjon). De overbragte samtidig følgende besked fra kong Asa:19„Jeg sender dig hermed en gave af sølv og guld. Lad os slutte pagt med hinanden, som vores fædre gjorde. Jeg beder dig om at opsige din pagt med kong Basha af Israel. Så vil han forhåbentlig opgive blokaden af mit land.”20Ben-Hadad gik nu med til at sende sin hær mod en række af Israels byer, og han indtog Ijjon, Dan, Abel-Bet-Ma’aka, området omkring Galilæasøen og samtlige byer i Naftalis land.21Da kong Basha fik det at vide, indstillede han arbejdet med at befæste Rama og trak sig tilbage til hovedstaden, Tirtza.22Derefter sendte kong Asa en bekendtgørelse ud i hele Juda med en opfordring til alle, der kunne krybe og gå, om at være med til at nedbryde Ramas fæstningsværker, så både stenene og tømmeret kunne genbruges andre steder. Det blev så brugt til at befæste de strategiske byer Geba i Benjamins land og Mitzpa.23Resten af Asas bedrifter, hans erobringer og de byer, han befæstede, kan man læse om i Judas kongers krønikebog. På sine gamle dage fik han en alvorlig sygdom i benene.24Efter sin død blev han begravet i Davidsbyen, hvor de andre konger lå begravet, og hans søn Joshafat efterfulgte ham som konge i Juda.
Nadab som konge over Israel
25I mellemtiden var Jeroboams søn Nadab blevet konge i Israel. Det skete i kong Asa af Judas andet regeringsår, og han regerede to år.[4]26Han gjorde, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne, for han fulgte i sin fars fodspor og fortsatte den afgudsdyrkelse, hans far havde indført.
Basha som konge i Israel
27-31Basha, som var søn af Ahija af Issakars stamme, lavede en sammensværgelse imod ham og myrdede ham under belejringen af filisterbyen Gibbeton. De øvrige enkeltheder om Nadab og hans bedrifter er nedskrevet i Israels kongers krønikebog. Da Basha havde dræbt kong Nadab, tog han selv magten i Israel. Det skete i kong Asa af Judas tredje regeringsår. Han dræbte straks alle kong Jeroboams efterkommere og udryddede dermed kongefamilien, sådan som Herren havde forudsagt gennem profeten Ahija fra Shilo, for Jeroboam havde jo fremkaldt Herrens, Israels Guds, vrede ved at synde og lede resten af Israels folk ud i synd.32Kong Asa af Juda og kong Basha af Israel lå i konstant krig med hinanden.33Basha blev som sagt konge i Asas tredje regeringsår, og han regerede i 24 år ud fra Tirtza.34Han gjorde, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne ved at fortsætte med den afgudsdyrkelse, som Jeroboam havde indført i Israel.
1Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. (2.Krøn 13,1)2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.3And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father. (1.Kong 8,61; 1.Kong 11,4; 1.Kong 15,14)4Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem, (1.Kong 11,36)5because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. (2.Sam 11,4; 2.Sam 11,15; 2.Sam 12,9; 1.Kong 9,4; 1.Kong 14,8)6Now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. (1.Kong 14,30)7The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. (2.Krøn 13,2; 2.Krøn 13,22)8And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. (2.Krøn 14,1)
Asa Reigns in Judah
9In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa began to reign over Judah,10and he reigned forty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah the daughter of Abishalom.11And Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done. (2.Krøn 14,2)12He put away the male cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. (1.Kong 14,24; 2.Krøn 15,8)13He also removed Maacah his mother from being queen mother because she had made an abominable image for Asherah. And Asa cut down her image and burned it at the brook Kidron. (2.Mos 32,20; 2.Krøn 15,16)14But the high places were not taken away. Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days. (1.Kong 15,3; 1.Kong 22,43; 2.Kong 12,3; 2.Kong 14,4)15And he brought into the house of the Lord the sacred gifts of his father and his own sacred gifts, silver, and gold, and vessels. (1.Kong 7,51)16And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. (1.Kong 15,32)17Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. (1.Kong 12,27; 1.Kong 15,21; 2.Krøn 16,1)18Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, (1.Kong 11,24; 1.Kong 14,26; 2.Kong 12,18)19“Let there be a covenant[1] between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” (2.Krøn 16,7)20And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. (Josva 11,2; Dom 18,29; 2.Sam 20,14; 2.Kong 15,29)21And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah. (1.Kong 14,17; 1.Kong 15,17; 1.Kong 16,6; 1.Kong 16,9)22Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah. (Josva 18,26; Josva 21,17)23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet. (2.Krøn 16,11)24And Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place. (2.Krøn 17,1; Matt 1,8)
Nadab Reigns in Israel
25Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. (1.Kong 14,20)26He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. (1.Kong 12,30; 1.Kong 14,16; 1.Kong 15,30; 1.Kong 15,34)27Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him. And Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbethon. (Josva 19,44; Josva 21,23; 1.Kong 14,14; 1.Kong 16,15)28So Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place.29And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. (1.Kong 14,10; 1.Kong 14,14)30It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel. (1.Kong 15,26)31Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?32And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days. (1.Kong 15,16)
Baasha Reigns in Israel
33In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha the son of Ahijah began to reign over all Israel at Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years.34He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel to sin. (1.Kong 15,26)