2Chronicles 16

Final Years of Asa’s Reign

16In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa's territory in Judah.H8337H7970H8141H4438H609H1201H4428H3478H5927H3063H1129H7414H1115H5414H3318H935H609H4428H30632Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message.H609H3318H3701H2091H214H1004H3068H4428H1004H7971H1130H4428H758H3427H1834H5593"Let there be a treaty

between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone."H1285H1H1H7971H3701H2091H3212H6565H1285H1201H4428H3478H59274Ben-hadad agreed to King Asa's request and sent the commanders of his army to attack the towns of Israel. They conquered the towns of Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah

, and all the store cities in Naphtali.H1130H8085H4428H609H7971H8269H2428H5892H3478H5221H5859H1835H66H4543H5892H53215As soon as Baasha of Israel heard what was happening, he abandoned his project of fortifying Ramah and stopped all work on it.H1201H8085H2308H1129H7414H4399H76736Then King Asa called out all the men of Judah to carry away the building stones and timbers that Baasha had been using to fortify Ramah. Asa used these materials to fortify the towns of Geba and Mizpah.H609H4428H3947H3063H5375H68H7414H6086H1201H1129H1129H1387H47097At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, "Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.H6256H2607H7200H935H609H4428H3063H559H8172H4428H758H8172H3068H430H2428H4428H758H4422H30278Don't you remember what happened to the Ethiopians

and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the LORD, and he handed them over to you.H3569H3864H7230H2428H3966H7235H7393H6571H8172H3068H5414H30279The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war."H5869H3068H7751H776H2388H3824H8003H5528H6258H3426H442110Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison and put him in stocks. At that time Asa also began to oppress some of his people.H609H3707H7200H5414H4115H1004H2197H609H7533H5971H6256

Summary of Asa’s Reign

11The rest of the events of Asa's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.H1697H609H7223H314H3789H5612H4428H3063H347812In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the LORD's help but turned only to his physicians.H609H7970H8672H8141H4438H2456H7272H2483H4605H2483H1875H3068H749513So he died in the forty-first year of his reign.H609H7901H1H4191H259H705H8141H442714He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.H6912H6913H3738H5892H1732H7901H4904H4390H1314H2177H7543H4842H4639H8313H3966H1419H8316