1 NOW in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. [ Those of Israel who were in the south. The grandson of soloman, the great grandson of David. ]

2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

4 Nevertheless for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp [ A light, an heir to the throne. David lived well enough that God granted him this blessing. sometimes it is the severity of the sin that hangs over our head. While quantity can be a problem sometime it is the severity as well. 2 Chronicles 13:18 the same story is repeated and there it suggests that there were still some righteous people in Judah as God blessed them that they prevailed in war. ] in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:

5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. [ How good was David in his whole life except for one thing. It is so sad that it needs to be followed with an except for. ]

6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

9 ¶ And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. [ Now we have another new King, Asa the son of Abijam. ]

10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

11  And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, [ Despite the bad example set by his father Asa chooses to follow God. ] as did David his father. [ David would really be his great great grandfather. What does he do right? 2 Chronicles 15:1-2 to get additional insight into what Asa did right. ]

12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, [ Remove those who would tempt others. ] and removed all the idols [ Remove the evil influence of the pagan Gods.] ] that his fathers had made.

13  And also Maachah his mother, [ He is dead serious about this. He knows that he must maintain a zero tolerance policy. No exceptions. not even his own mom. If there is one, that one will influence others to follow. It is just how it is. ] even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. [ This is the same brook that flows through the Kidron valley, where the garden of Gethsemane is. 2 Chronicles 15:15 adds this "And all Judah rejoiced at the oath:". ]

14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days. [ While he was not perfect his heart was in the right place. ]

15 And he [ Asa. ] brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16 ¶ And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

17 And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, [ Builds a barrier to prevent the righteous from returning to worship God. Isn't that pretty much how people act today. When someone tries to go back to church those on social mediat and everywhere else try's to bring up all of these things that are wrong with religion. ] that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. [ So he is trying to stop the flow of the righteous from leaving his kingdom. Indicatung that there were enough that it was a problem for Baasha the king of the north. ]

18 Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

19  There is a league between me and thee, [ Can we forn an alliance between the two of us. Asa does not know if Baasha were to come to battle against him to stop the flow of people from the north if the armies of Asa could stand up to the armies of Baasha. So an alliance with the king of Syria will syre things up for him. For more on this story go to 2 Chronicles 16:7. ] and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

20 so Ben-hadad hearkened [ Hebrew "Shema" to "listened" and "obeyed". ] unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.

22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.

25 ¶ And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.

26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

27 ¶ And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.

29 And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; [ Just as the prophet Ahijah had said that Baasha would go and wipe out Jeroboam and all of his posterity as well. ] he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:

30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

31 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.

34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.