War between Asa and Baasha
בִּשְׁנַ֨ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וָשֵׁשׁ֙ לְמַלְכ֣וּת אָסָ֔א עָלָ֞ה בַּעְשָׁ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ עַל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּ֖בֶן אֶת־הָרָמָ֑ה לְבִלְתִּ֗י תֵּ֚ת יוֹצֵ֣א וָבָ֔א לְאָסָ֖א מֶ֥לֶךְ יְהוּדָֽה׃
In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.
וַיֹּצֵ֨א אָסָ֜א כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֗ב מֵאֹֽצְר֛וֹת בֵּ֥ית יְהוָ֖ה וּבֵ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֶל־בֶּן־הֲדַד֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם הַיּוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּדַרְמֶ֖שֶׂק לֵאמֹֽר׃
So Asa withdrew the silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the royal palace, and he sent it with this message to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus:
בְּרִית֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔ךָ וּבֵ֥ין אָבִ֖י וּבֵ֣ין אָבִ֑יךָ הִנֵּ֨ה שָׁלַ֤חְתִּֽי לְךָ֙ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב לֵ֞ךְ הָפֵ֣ר בְּרִֽיתְךָ֗ אֶת־בַּעְשָׁא֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיַעֲלֶ֖ה מֵעָלָֽי׃
“Let there be a treaty between me and you as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”
וַיִּשְׁמַ֨ע בֶּן הֲדַ֜ד אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֗א וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח אֶת־שָׂרֵ֨י הַחֲיָלִ֤ים אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ֙ אֶל־עָרֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּכּוּ֙ אֶת־עִיּ֣וֹן וְאֶת־דָּ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת אָבֵ֣ל מָ֑יִם וְאֵ֥ת כָּֽל־מִסְכְּנ֖וֹת עָרֵ֥י נַפְתָּלִֽי׃
And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, conquering Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.
וַיְהִי֙ כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ בַּעְשָׁ֔א וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל מִבְּנ֖וֹת אֶת־הָרָמָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁבֵּ֖ת אֶת־מְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃ ס
When Baasha learned of this, he stopped fortifying Ramah and abandoned his work.
וְאָסָ֣א הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ לָקַח֙ אֶת־כָּל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּשְׂא֞וּ אֶת־אַבְנֵ֤י הָֽרָמָה֙ וְאֶת־עֵצֶ֔יהָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנָ֖ה בַּעְשָׁ֑א וַיִּ֣בֶן בָּהֶ֔ם אֶת־גֶּ֖בַע וְאֶת־הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃ ס
Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timbers Baasha had used for building. And with these materials he built up Geba and Mizpah.
Hanani’s Message to Asa
וּבָעֵ֣ת הַהִ֗יא בָּ֚א חֲנָ֣נִי הָרֹאֶ֔ה אֶל־אָסָ֖א מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו בְּהִשָּׁ֨עֶנְךָ֜ עַל־מֶ֤לֶךְ אֲרָם֙ וְלֹ֤א נִשְׁעַ֙נְתָּ֙ עַל־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־כֵּ֗ן נִמְלַ֛ט חֵ֥יל מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֖ם מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃
At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and told him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
הֲלֹ֧א הַכּוּשִׁ֣ים וְהַלּוּבִ֗ים הָי֨וּ לְחַ֧יִל׀ לָרֹ֛ב לְרֶ֥כֶב וּלְפָרָשִׁ֖ים לְהַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד וּבְהִשָּֽׁעֶנְךָ֥ עַל־יְהוָ֖ה נְתָנָ֥ם בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃
Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand.
כִּ֣י יְהוָ֗ה עֵינָ֞יו מְשֹׁטְט֤וֹת בְּכָל־הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ לְ֠הִתְחַזֵּק עִם־לְבָבָ֥ם שָׁלֵ֛ם אֵלָ֖יו נִסְכַּ֣לְתָּ עַל־זֹ֑את כִּ֣י מֵעַ֔תָּה יֵ֥שׁ עִמְּךָ֖ מִלְחָמֽוֹת׃
For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”
וַיִּכְעַ֨ס אָסָ֜א אֶל־הָרֹאֶ֗ה וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֙הוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית הַמַּהְפֶּ֔כֶת כִּֽי־בְזַ֥עַף עִמּ֖וֹ עַל־זֹ֑את וַיְרַצֵּ֥ץ אָסָ֛א מִן־הָעָ֖ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽיא׃
Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.
The Death and Burial of Asa
וְהִנֵּה֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י אָסָ֔א הָרִאשׁוֹנִ֖ים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִ֑ים הִנָּ֤ם כְּתוּבִים֙ עַל־סֵ֣פֶר הַמְּלָכִ֔ים לִיהוּדָ֖ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Now the acts of Asa, from beginning to end, are indeed written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
וַיֶּחֱלֶ֣א אָסָ֡א בִּשְׁנַת֩ שְׁלוֹשִׁ֨ים וָתֵ֤שַׁע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ֙ בְּרַגְלָ֔יו עַד־לְמַ֖עְלָה חָלְי֑וֹ וְגַם־בְּחָלְיוֹ֙ לֹא־דָרַ֣שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֖י בָּרֹפְאִֽים׃
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease became increasingly severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but only the physicians.
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אָסָ֖א עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו וַיָּ֕מָת בִּשְׁנַ֛ת אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וְאַחַ֖ת לְמָלְכֽוֹ׃
So in the forty-first year of his reign, Asa died and rested with his fathers.
וַיִּקְבְּרֻ֣הוּ בְקִבְרֹתָ֗יו אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּֽרָה־לוֹ֮ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִיד֒ וַיַּשְׁכִּיבֻ֗הוּ בַּמִּשְׁכָּב֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִלֵּא֙ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים וּזְנִ֔ים מְרֻקָּחִ֖ים בְּמִרְקַ֣חַת מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ־ל֥וֹ שְׂרֵפָ֖ה גְּדוֹלָ֥ה עַד־לִמְאֹֽד׃ פ
And he was buried in the tomb that he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier that was full of spices and various blended perfumes; then they made a great fire in his honor.