¹ In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah,—that he might let none come out or go in, unto Asa king of Judah.

² So Asa brought forth silver and gold, out of the treasuries of the house of Yahweh, and the house of the king,—and sent unto Ben-hadad, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:

³ [Let there be] a covenant, between me and thee, as between my father and thy father.—Lo! I have sent thee silver and gold, go break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may go up from me.

⁴ And Ben-hadad hearkened unto King Asa, and sent the chieftains of the forces which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon and Dan, and Abel-maim,—and all the storehouses of the cities of Naphtali.

⁵ And it cams to pass, when Baasha heard it, he left off building Ramah,—and let his work cease.

⁶ And, Asa the king, took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timbers thereof, which Baasha had used in building,—and he built therewith, Geba and Mizpah.

⁷ And, at that time, came Hanani the seer, unto Asa the king of Judah,—and said unto him, Because thou hast leaned upon the king of Syria, and hast not leaned upon Yahweh thy God, for this cause, hath the force of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand.

⁸ Were not, the Ethiopians and the Lybians, a huge host, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? yet, because thou didst lean upon Yahweh, he delivered them into thy hand.

⁹ For, as touching Yahweh, [seeing that], his eyes, are ever running to and fro throughout all the earth, to shew himself strong with them who are perfect toward himself, thou hast made thyself foolish over this,—for, from henceforth, there shall be with thee—wars.

¹⁰ Then was Asa angry with the seer, and put him in the house of the stocks, for he was in a rage with him, over this,—and Asa oppressed some of the people, at that time.

¹¹ But lo! the story of Asa, first and last, there it is, written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

¹² And Asa became diseased—in the thirty-ninth year of his reign—in his feet, exceedingly severe, was his disease,—yet, even in his disease, he sought not Yahweh, but unto physicians.

¹³ And Asa slept with his fathers,—yea he died in the forty-first year of his reign;

¹⁴ and they buried him in his own stately sepulchre, which he had hewn for himself in the city of David, and laid him on a couch which was full of sweet spices—yea of various kinds, made by the perfumer’s art,—and they burned for him with an exceeding great burning.