Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 15

Judah's King Abijam

¹ In the eighteenth year of Israel's King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah ² and reigned three years in Jerusalem.^(a) His mother's name was Maacah^(b) daughter^[a] of Abishalom.

³ Abijam walked in all the sins his father before him had committed,^(c) and he was not completely devoted to the Lord his God as his ancestor David had been.^{(d) 4} But because of David, the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem.^{(e) 5} For David did what was right in the Lord 's eyes, and he did not turn aside from anything He had commanded him all the days of his life,^(f) except in the matter of Uriah^(g) the Hittite.

⁶ There had been war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of Rehoboam's life.^{(h) 7} The rest of the events of Abijam's reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings.⁽ⁱ⁾ There was also war between Abijam and Jeroboam.^{(j) 8} Abijam rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.^(k) His son Asa became king in his place.^(l)

Judah's King Asa

⁹ In the twentieth year of Israel's King Jeroboam,^(m) Asa became king of Judah ¹⁰ and reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His grandmother's^[b] name was Maacah⁽ⁿ⁾ daughter^[c] of Abishalom.

¹¹ Asa did what was right in the Lord 's eyes, as his ancestor David had done.^{(o) 12} He banished the male cult prostitutes^(p) from the land and removed all of the idols that his fathers had made.^{(q) 13} He also^(r) removed his grandmother^[d] Maacah from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah. Asa chopped down her obscene image and burned it^(s) in the Kidron Valley.^{(t) 14} The high places were not taken away;^(u) but Asa's heart was completely devoted to the Lord his entire life.^{(v) 15} He brought his father's consecrated gifts and his own consecrated gifts into the Lord 's temple: silver, gold, and utensils.^(w)

¹⁶ There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.^{(x) 17} Israel's King Baasha went to war against Judah.^(y) He built Ramah^(z) in order to deny anyone access to Judah's King Asa. ¹⁸ So Asa withdrew all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the Lord 's temple^(aa) and the treasuries of the royal palace and put it into the hands of his servants. Then King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad^(ab) son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion king of Aram who lived in Damascus,^(ac) saying, ¹⁹ "There is a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father.^(ad) Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel^(ae) so that he will withdraw from me."

²⁰ Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. He attacked Ijon,^(af) Dan,^(ag) Abel-beth-maacah,^(ah) all Chinnereth,^(ai) and the whole land of Naphtali.^{(aj) 21} When Baasha heard about it, he quit building Ramah and stayed in Tirzah.^{(ak) 22} Then King Asa gave a command to everyone without exception in Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had built it with. Then King Asa built Geba^(al) of Benjamin and Mizpah^(am) with them.

²³ The rest of all the events of Asa's reign,^(an) along with all his might, all his accomplishments, and the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings.^(ao) But in his old age he developed a disease in his feet.^{(ap) 24} Then Asa rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his ancestor David.^(aq) His son Jehoshaphat^(ar) became king in his place.

Israel's King Nadab

²⁵ Nadab son of Jeroboam^(as) became king over Israel in the second year of Judah's King Asa; he reigned over Israel two years. ²⁶ Nadab did what was evil in the Lord 's sight and followed the example of his father and the sin he had caused Israel to commit.^(at)

²⁷ Then Baasha^(au) son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon^(av) of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging Gibbethon. ²⁸ In the third year of Judah's King Asa,^(aw) Baasha killed Nadab^(ax) and reigned in his place.

²⁹ When Baasha became king, he struck down the entire house of Jeroboam.^(ay) He did not leave Jeroboam any survivors but^[e] destroyed his family according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the Shilonite.^{(az) 30} This was because Jeroboam had provoked^[f] the Lord God of Israel by the sins he had committed and had caused Israel to commit.^(ba)

³¹ The rest of the events of Nadab's reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings.^{(bb) 32} There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.^(bc)

Chapter 2

God's Response to His People

¹⁸ Then the Lord became jealous for His land^(ar) and spared His people.^{(as) 19} The Lord answered His people:

God's Promise of His Spirit