16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Ba’asha king of Israel attacked Judah, and he fortified Ramah, in order to keep anyone from going in or coming out from Asa king of Judah. 2 So Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the House of the Lord and from the palace of the king and sent it to Ben Hadad king of Aram, who ruled in Damascus.
He said, 3 “There should be a treaty between you and me as there was between my father and your father. Look! I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Ba’asha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”
4 Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim,[a] and all the towns for storehouses in Naphtali. 5 When Ba’asha heard about it, he stopped building Ramah and put an end to his work on it. 6 King Asa then summoned all Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and the timber which Ba’asha had been using to build it. With them he built Geba and Mizpah.
Hanani the Seer Delivers a Message to Asa
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Aram, and you did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Weren’t the Cushites and the Libyans a huge army, with very many chariots and charioteers? When you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 The Lord! It is his eyes that go back and forth over all the earth to offer strong support to the hearts of those who are completely committed to[b] him. You have acted foolishly in this. From now on you will be at war.”
10 Asa was angry with the seer, so he put him in prison because he was in a rage against him on account of this. At this time Asa also crushed some of the people.
Asa’s Disease and Death
11 You can find the acts of Asa, from first to last, written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
12 Asa’s feet became diseased in the thirty-ninth year of his reign. His disease was very serious, but even when he was sick, he did not seek the Lord, but only his physicians.
13 Asa rested with his fathers. He died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in his tomb, which he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier[c] that was covered with all kinds of fragrant spices and perfumed ointments, skillfully blended by the perfume makers. They burned a very large bonfire in his honor.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 16:4 Also called Abel Beth Ma’akah
- 2 Chronicles 16:9 Or who are at peace with
- 2 Chronicles 16:14 Or in a coffin