The Second of Chronicles
16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Aʹsa, Baʹa·sha+ the king of Israel came up against Judah and began to build Raʹmah,+ so as not to allow anyone to go out or come in to Aʹsa the king of Judah.+ 2 Aʹsa now brought out silver and gold from the treasures of Jehovah’s house+ and the king’s house+ and sent to Ben-haʹdad+ the king of Syria,+ who was dwelling at Damascus,+ saying: 3 “There is a covenant between me and you and between my father and your father. Here I do send you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baʹa·sha+ the king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.”+
4 So Ben-haʹdad listened to King Aʹsa and sent the chiefs of the military forces that were his against the cities of Israel, so that they struck Iʹjon+ and Dan+ and Aʹbel-maʹim+ and all the storage places+ of the cities of Naphʹta·li.+ 5 And it came about that as soon as Baʹa·sha heard of it, he immediately quit building Raʹmah and stopped his work.+ 6 As for Aʹsa the king, he took all Judah,+ and they proceeded to carry away the stones of Raʹmah+ and its timbers with which Baʹa·sha had built,+ and he began to build with them Geʹba+ and Mizʹpah.+
7 And at that time Ha·naʹni+ the seer came to Aʹsa the king of Judah and then said to him: “Because you leaned upon the king of Syria+ and did not lean upon Jehovah your God,+ for that reason the military force of the king of Syria has escaped out of your hand. 8 Did not the E·thi·oʹpi·ans+ and the Libʹy·ans+ themselves happen to be a very great military force in multitude, in chariots and in horsemen;+ and because of your leaning upon Jehovah did he not give them into your hand?+ 9 For, as regards Jehovah, his eyes+ are roving about through all the earth+ to show his strength in behalf of those whose heart+ is complete toward him. You have acted foolishly+ respecting this, for from now on there will exist wars against you.”+
10 However, Aʹsa became offended at the seer and put him in the house of the stocks,+ because he was in a rage at him over this.+ And Aʹsa began to crush+ some others of the people at that same time. 11 And, look! the affairs of Aʹsa, the first and the last, there they are written in the Book+ of the Kings of Judah and of Israel.
12 And Aʹsa in the thirty-ninth year of his reign developed an ailment in his feet until he was very sick;+ and even in his sickness he searched not for Jehovah+ but for the healers.+ 13 Finally Aʹsa lay down with his forefathers+ and died in the forty-first year of his reigning. 14 So they buried him in his grand burial place*+ that he had excavated for himself in the City of David;+ and they laid him in the bed that had been filled with balsam oil+ and different sorts of ointment+ mixed in an ointment of special make.+ Further, they made an extraordinarily great funeral burning+ for him.*