1Abijah became king of Judah. It was in the 18th year of Jeroboam’s rule over Israel. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat.2Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother’s name was Maakah. She was Abishalom’s daughter.3Abijah committed all the sins his father had committed before him. Abijah didn’t obey the LORD his God with all his heart. He didn’t do what King David had done.4But the LORD still kept the lamp of Abijah’s kingdom burning brightly in Jerusalem. He did it by giving him a son to be the next king after him. He also did it by making Jerusalem strong. The LORD did those things because of David.5David had done what was right in the sight of the LORD. He had kept all the LORD’s commands. He had obeyed them all the days of his life. But he hadn’t obeyed the LORD in the case of Uriah, the Hittite.6There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam all through Abijah’s life.7The other events of Abijah’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All these things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.8Abijah joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the City of David. Abijah’s son Asa became the next king after him.
Asa king of Judah
9Asa became king of Judah. It was in the 20th year that Jeroboam was king of Israel.10Asa ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah. She was Abishalom’s daughter.11Asa did what was right in the sight of the LORD. That’s what King David had done.12Asa threw out of the land the male prostitutes who were at the temples. He got rid of all the statues of gods made by his people of long ago.13He even removed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother. That’s because she had made a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. The LORD hated it. So Asa cut it down. He burned it in the Kidron Valley.14Asa didn’t remove the high places from Israel. But he committed his whole life completely to the LORD.15He and his father had set apart silver, gold and other things to the LORD. Asa brought them into the LORD’s temple.16There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings.17Baasha was king of Israel. He marched out against Judah. Baasha built up the walls of Ramah. He did it to keep people from leaving or entering the territory of Asa, the king of Judah.18Asa took all the silver and gold left among the treasures of the LORD’s temple and his own palace. He put his officials in charge of it. He sent the officials to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad was king of Aram. He was ruling in Damascus. He was the son of Tabrimmon and the grandson of Hezion.19‘Let’s make a peace treaty between us,’ Asa said. ‘My father and your father had made a peace treaty between them. Now I’m sending you a gift of silver and gold. So break your treaty with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he’ll go back home.’20Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel. He captured Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and the whole area of Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali.21Baasha heard about it. So he stopped building up Ramah. He went back home to Tirzah.22Then King Asa gave an order to all the men of Judah. Everyone was required to help. They carried away from Ramah the stones and wood Baasha had been using there. King Asa used them to build up Geba in the territory of Benjamin. He also used them to build up Mizpah.23All the other events of Asa’s rule are written down, including the cities he built. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. But when Asa became old, his feet began to give him trouble.24He joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in his family tomb. It was in the city of King David. Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the next king after him.
Nadab king of Israel
25Nadab became king of Israel. It was in the second year that Asa was king of Judah. Nadab ruled over Israel for two years. He was the son of Jeroboam.26Nadab did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He lived the way his father had lived. He committed the same sin his father Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.27Baasha was from the tribe of Issachar. He was the son of Ahijah. Baasha made plans against Nadab and struck him down at Gibbethon. It was a Philistine town. Baasha struck him down while Nadab and all the men of Israel were getting ready to attack Gibbethon.28He killed Nadab in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha became the next king after Nadab.29As soon as Baasha became king, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He didn’t leave any of them alive. He destroyed every one of them. He did what the LORD had said would happen. The LORD had spoken that message through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh.30The LORD judged Jeroboam’s family because of the sins Jeroboam had committed. He had also caused Israel to commit those same sins. He had made the LORD very angry. The LORD is the God of Israel.31The other events of Nadab’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Israel.32There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings.
Baasha king of Israel
33Baasha became king of Israel in Tirzah. It was in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha ruled for 24 years. He was the son of Ahijah.34Baasha did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. He lived the way Jeroboam had lived. He committed the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
1-2Abiam började sin treåriga regeringstid i Jerusalem som kung i Juda under Jerobeams artonde regeringsår i Israel. (Abiams mor hette Maaka och var dotter till Abisalom.)3Han syndade lika grovt som sin far, och hans hjärta var inte hängivet Gud, som kung Davids hade varit.4-5Men trots Abiams synd kom Herren ihåg löftet till David och gjorde inte slut på Davids kungliga ätt, för David hade varit lydig mot Gud under hela sin livstid, med undantag för affären med hetiten Uria. Därför fick Abiam en son som skulle efterträda honom på tronen och göra Jerusalem starkt.6Under hela Abiams regeringstid var det ständiga krig mellan Israel och Juda.7Allt övrigt som hände under Abiams regering finns att läsa i Juda kungars krönika.8När han hade dött begravdes han i Jerusalem, och hans son Asa efterträdde honom.
Asa regerar i Juda
9Asa blev kung i Juda under Jerobeams tjugonde regeringsår i Israel, och10han regerade i fyrtioett år i Jerusalem. Hans farmor hette Maaka och var Abisaloms dotter.11Asa gjorde det som var rätt i Herrens ögon, precis som hans förfader David hade gjort.12Han drev ut de manliga prostituerade ur landet och rev ner alla de avgudar som hans far hade gjort.13Han avsatte sin farmor Maaka som drottningmoder, därför att hon hade låtit tillverka en avgud, en Asera. Den högg han ner och brände upp i Kidrons dal.14Men offerhusen på höjderna fick vara kvar, för Asa insåg inte att det var fel att ha dem kvar.15Han förde till templet allt det silver och guld som han och hans far hade avskilt för Herren.16Det rådde ett ständigt krig mellan kung Asa i Juda och kung Baesa i Israel.17Baesa byggde befästningar kring Rama i ett försök att skära av alla förbindelser till Asa.18Då tog Asa allt silver och guld som fanns kvar i templets skattkammare, och även skatterna i palatset, och bad sina tjänare att föra alltsammans till den arameiske kungen Ben-Hadad i Damaskus och säga:19"Låt oss ingå förbund som våra förfäder gjorde. Ta emot min gåva och bryt ditt förbund med kung Baesa i Israel, så att han låter mig vara i fred."20Ben-Hadad gick med på förslaget och sände sina arméer mot några av Israels städer. Han intog Ijon, Dan, Abel-Bet-Maaka och hela Kinarot och Naftali.21När Baesa hörde detta slutade han bygga på befästningen i Rama och vände tillbaka till Tirsa.22Kung Asa sammankallade då hela Juda för att riva ner Rama och bära bort all sten och allt timmer och övrigt byggnadsmaterial. Det använde han till att bygga upp Geba i Benjamin och staden Mispa.23Det övriga av Asas bedrifter, alla hans erövringar och namnen på de städer han byggde återfinns i Juda kungars krönika. På äldre dagar fick han en sjukdom i sina fötter.24När han dog begravdes han på den kungliga begravningsplatsen i Jerusalem, och hans son Josafat efterträdde honom.
Nadab regerar i Israel
25-26Under kung Asas andra regeringsår blev Jerobeams son Nadab kung i Israel. Han regerade bara i två år och var inte någon god kung. I likhet med sin far tillbad han många olika avgudar och förledde Israel till synd.27Baesa, son till Ahia från Isaskars stam, ledde en sammansvärjning mot Nadab och lönnmördade honom när han med den israelitiska armén belägrade den filisteiska staden Gibbeton.
Baesa regerar i Israel
28Baesa efterträdde Nadab som kung över Israel i Tirsa, och detta hände under kung Asas tredje regeringsår över Juda.29Baesa dödade omedelbart alla som tillhörde Jerobeams familj, så att den dog ut, precis som Herren hade sagt genom profeten Ahia från Silo.30Detta skedde därför att Jerobeam hade retat Herren till vrede genom att synda och förleda det övriga Israel till synd.31Om händelserna under Nadabs regeringstid finns berättat i Israels kungars krönika.32-33Det rådde ständiga strider mellan kung Asa i Juda och kung Baesa i Israel. Baesa regerade i tjugofyra år,34men hela tiden gjorde han det som var ont i Herrens ögon. Han handlade som Jerobeam hade gjort och förledde Israels folk att synda mot Herren.