The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 16
1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign,
Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not
allow anyone to go out or come in to Asa
king of Judah.
2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold
out of the treasures of Yahweh’s house and
of the king’s house, and sent to Ben Hadad
king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, saying,
3 “Let there be a treaty between me and
you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold,
I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with
Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart
from me.”
4 Ben Hadad listened to King Asa, and
sent the captains of his armies against the
cities of Israel; and they struck Ijon, Dan,
Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of
Naphtali.
5 When Baasha heard of it, he stopped
building Ramah, and let his work cease.
6 Then Asa the king took all Judah, and
they carried away the stones and timber of
Ramah, with which Baasha had built; and
he built Geba and Mizpah with them.
7 At that time Hanani the seer came to
Asa king of Judah, and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria,
and have not relied on Yahweh your God,
therefore the army of the king of Syria has
escaped out of your hand.
8 Weren’ttheEthiopians andtheLubima
huge army, with chariots and exceedingly
many horsemen? Yet, because you relied
on Yahweh, he delivered them into your
hand.
9 For Yahweh’s eyes run back and forth
throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose
heart is perfect toward him. You have
done foolishly in this; for from now on you
will have wars.”
10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and
put him in the prison; for he was in a
rage with him because of this thing. Asa
oppressed some of the people at the same
time.
11 Behold, the acts of Asa, first and last,
behold, they are written in the book of the
kings of Judah and Israel.
12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign,
Asa was diseased in his feet. His disease
was exceedingly great; yet in his disease
he didn’t seek Yahweh, but just the physicians.
13 Asa slept with his fathers, and died in
the forty-first year of his reign.
14 They buried him in his own tomb,
which he had dug out for himself in
David’s city, and laid him in the bed which
was filled with sweet odors and various
kinds of spices prepared by the perfumers’
art; and they made a very great fire for
him.