2 Chronicles 14



1 So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David:

and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten

years.

2 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God:

3 for he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places,

and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:

4 and commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the

law and the commandment.

5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places

and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.

6 And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no

war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.

7 Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about

them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us;

because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath

given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.

8 And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah

three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows,

two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.



1 Kings 15



Asa, King of Judah



2 Ch 14:2-3; 15:16-17:1



9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel,

Asa became king over Judah.

10 (1Ki 15:2) He reigned 41 years in Jerusalem, and his grandmother's name

was Maakah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11 (2Ch 14:2) Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,

just as his father David had done.

12 (1Ki 22:46; 11:7-8) He expelled the male cult prostitutes

from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

13 (Ex 32:20) In addition he even deposed his grandmother Maakah as queen,

because she had made an idol in a grove. Asa destroyed her idol and burned it

by the Kidron brook.

14 (1Ki 15:3; 22:43) But the high places were not all removed, even though

Asa's heart was wholly devoted to the Lord all his days.

15 (1Ki 7:51) He brought into the house of the Lord the things

that both his father and he himself had dedicated,

the silver and gold and cups.



Asa



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

10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was

Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David

his father.

12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols

that his fathers had made.

13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because

she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by

the brook Kidron.

14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart

was perfect with the LORD all his days.

15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the

things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver,

and gold, and vessels.



1 Kings 15:16-22



16 (1Ki 15:32) There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel

all their days.

17 (1Ki 12:27; Jos 18:25) Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah

and fortified Ramah so he could prevent anyone from going out

or coming in to Asa king of Judah.

18 (1Ki 14:26; 2Ki 12:18) Then Asa took all the silver and the gold

that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord, as well

as the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand

of his servants, and he sent them to Ben-Hadad, the son of Tabrimmon,

the son of Hezion, king of Aram, who lived at Damascus, saying,

19"There is a treaty between me and you and between my father

and your father. I have sent to you a present of silver and gold.

Come and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel,

so he will depart from me."

20 (2Ki 15:29; Jdg 18:29; Jos 11:2) So Ben-Hadad listened to King Asa

and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel

and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah, and all Kinnereth,

along with all the land of Naphtali.

21 (1Ki 14:17; 16:15-18) When Baasha heard about it, he halted

the fortification of Ramah and moved to Tirzah.

22 (Jos 21:17; 18:24) Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah

-none was exempted-and they took away the stones of Ramah

and the timber with which Baasha had built, and King Asa used them to build

Geba of Benjamin as well as Mizpah.



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

17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that 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 left 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 servants: and king Asa sent them

to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria,

that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

19 There is 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 may 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 Ijon, and Dan,

and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, 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 Tirzah.

22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted:

and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith

Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.



1 Kings 15:23-24



23 The rest of all the acts of Asa and 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? When he was old,

he got a disease in his feet.

(24Mt 1:8; 1Ki 22:41-43) Asa then slept with his fathers and was buried

with them in the city of his father David,

and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place.



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 in the time of his old age

he was diseased in his feet.

24 And 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 stead.



2 Chronicles 14:9-15



9 (2Ch 16:8; Jos 15:44) But Zerah the Ethiopian Cushite came out against them

with an army of 1000000 men and 300000 chariots. And he came up to Mareshah.

10 Then Asa went out to engage him, and they arranged for battle

in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

11 (2Ch 13:14; 13:18) And Asa cried out the Lord his God, and said,

"Lord, it is nothing with You to help, whether with many or with those

who have no power. Help us, O Lord our God; for we trust in You,

and in Your name we come against this multitude.

O Lord, You are our God. Let no man prevail against You."

12 (2Ch 13:15) So the Lord struck down the Ethiopian Cushites

before Asa and Judah, and the Cushites fled.

13 (Ge 10:19; 20:1) Then Asa and those with him pursued them until Gerar.

And the Cushites fell till there was not one left alive

because they were struck down before the Lord and His army.

And those in Judah carried off a very great plunder.

14 (2Ch 17:10; Ge 35:5) And they struck down all the cities surrounding Gerar

because the terror of the Lord was on them. And they plundered all the cities

because there was a great amount of possessions in them.

15 And they also struck the tents holding livestock, and they carried off

sheep and a great amount of camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.



9 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of

a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.

10 Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the

valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with

thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us,

O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this

multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the

Ethiopians fled.

13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the

Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they

were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away

very much spoil.

14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD

came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much

spoil in them.

15 They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels

in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.



2 Chronicles 15



The Reforms of Asa



1Ki 15:13-16



1 (2Ch 20:14; 24:20) Then the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded,

2 (1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 15:4) and he went out to meet Asa and said to him,

"Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you

while you are with Him. If you all seek Him, He will be found with you.

But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.

3 (Lev 10:11; 1Ki 12:28-33) For a long time Israel has been without the true

God, and without a teaching priest and without law,

4 (Dt 4:29-30) but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God

of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.

5 (Jdg 5:6) And at that time there was no peace to the one traveling in

or out because there was a great panic on all those who dwelt in the land.

6 They were broken to pieces, nation against nation and city against city,

because God confused them with every type of distress.

7 (Jos 1:7; 1:9) But you all must be strong and not lose heart,

for there is a reward for your deeds."

8 (2Ch 8:12; 13:19) And when Asa heard these words of the prophecy of Azariah

son of Oded the prophet, he was encouraged and removed the detestable idols

from the entire land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities

that he captured in the hills of Ephraim. And he repaired the altar

of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord.

9 (2Ch 11:16) And he gathered together all of Judah and Benjamin

and those who had settled among them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon,

for these had come down to him from Israel in a great number

when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

10 These were gathered in Jerusalem in the third month in the fifteenth year

in the reign of Asa.

11 (2Ch 14:13-15) They sacrificed to the Lord that day from the plunder

that they brought in, 700 oxen and 7000 sheep.

12 (2Ch 23:16; 2Ki 23:3) And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God

of their fathers with all their heart and soul.

13 (Ex 22:20) But whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel

would be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

14 They swore an oath to the Lord in a loud voice, with shouting, trumpets,

and horns.

15 (2Ch 14:7) And all Judah rejoiced over this oath because they swore

with their whole heart and they sought Him with all their desire;

and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.

16 (1Ki 15:13-24; Ex 34:13) King Asa even removed his mother Maakah

from being queen mother because she had made a detestable image

for Asherah. Asa cut down her image, crushed it, and burned it

in the Kidron Valley.

17 But they did not remove the high places from Israel.

Nevertheless the heart of Asa was wholly committed all his days.

18 He brought into the house of God the sacred gifts of his father

and his own sacred gifts-silver, gold, and utensils.

19 And there was no war until the 35th year of the reign of Asa.