Baasha

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

There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days.

17And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Baasha, king of Israel, came to fight against Judah. He built up the town of Ramah with strong walls. He wanted to stop anyone from going in or out of Asa's land.

18Then 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 Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

So Asa took all the silver and gold left in the LORD's house. He also took the treasure from his own palace. He gave it to his servants to carry. King Asa sent them to Benhadad, the king of Syria, who lived in Damascus. Benhadad was the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion. Asa sent this message:

19There is a league between me and thee, 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.

"Let us be friends, you and me, like our fathers were. Look, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Please break your promise with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he will go away and leave me alone."

20So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

Benhadad listened to King Asa. He sent his army leaders to attack the cities of Israel. They beat Ijon, Dan, and Abelbethmaachah. They took all of Cinneroth and all the land of Naphtali.

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

When Baasha heard this news, he stopped building up Ramah. He went back and stayed in the city of Tirzah.

22Then 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.

Then King Asa called every man in Judah, with no one left out. They carried away the stones and wood Baasha had used at Ramah. With them, King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and Mizpah.

27And 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.

Baasha, son of Ahijah, was from the family group of Issachar. He made a secret plan against Nadab. He killed Nadab at Gibbethon, a Philistine town. Nadab and all Israel were surrounding that town to take it.

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

Baasha killed Nadab in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Then Baasha became king in Nadab's place.

29And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; 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:

As soon as Baasha was king, he killed everyone in Jeroboam's family. He did not leave one person alive who was breathing. This happened just as the LORD had said it would. God had said it through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh.

30Because 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.

This happened because of the sins Jeroboam did. He also led the people of Israel to sin. His sins made the LORD, the God of Israel, angry.

31Now 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?

The other things Nadab did are written in another book. It is the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

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

There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days.

33In 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.

In Asa's third year as king of Judah, Baasha became king. Baasha, son of Ahijah, ruled all Israel from the city of Tirzah. He was king for twenty-four years.

34And 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.

Baasha did evil things that the LORD could see. He lived the same way Jeroboam had lived. He led the people of Israel to sin, just as Jeroboam did.

1Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

Then the LORD gave a message to Jehu, the son of Hanani. It was against King Baasha.

2Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;

God said, "I lifted you out of the dirt. I made you the leader of my people Israel. But you have lived the same bad way Jeroboam did. You led my people Israel into sin. Their sins have made me angry.

3Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

So I will sweep away Baasha and his whole family. I will do to your family what I did to Jeroboam's family.

4Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat.

Dogs will eat anyone in Baasha's family who dies in the city. Birds will eat anyone who dies out in the fields."

5Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

The other things Baasha did, and how strong he was, are written down. They are in the book called the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

6So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

Then Baasha died, like his fathers before him. He was buried in the town of Tirzah. His son Elah became king after him.

7And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him.

The LORD had sent that message through the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. The message was against Baasha and his family. It came because of all the evil Baasha did. He made God angry with the things he made and did. He acted just like Jeroboam's family. He had also killed off Jeroboam's family.

8In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.

Asa was king of Judah. In his twenty-sixth year, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel. He ruled from Tirzah for two years.

9And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.

One of Elah's own officers turned against him. His name was Zimri, and he led half the king's chariots. Elah was in Tirzah at the house of Arza, who ran the palace. Elah was there getting drunk.

10And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

Zimri walked in, struck Elah down, and killed him. This was in Asa's twenty-seventh year as king of Judah. Then Zimri became king in Elah's place.

11And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.

As soon as Zimri sat on the throne, he killed Baasha's whole family. He did not leave one man alive, not a relative and not a friend.

12Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

So Zimri destroyed Baasha's whole family. This happened just as the LORD had said through the prophet Jehu.

13For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

It happened because of the sins of Baasha and his son Elah. They sinned, and they led Israel to sin too. They made the LORD, the God of Israel, angry with their worthless idols.

1In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

It was Asa's thirty-sixth year as king. Baasha, the king of Israel, came to attack Judah. He built up the town of Ramah with strong walls. He wanted to stop people from going in or out of Asa's land.

2Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

So Asa took silver and gold out of the LORD's house and out of his own palace. He sent it to Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, who lived in the city of Damascus. He sent this message with it:

3There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.

"Let there be an agreement between you and me. Our fathers had one too. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your agreement with Baasha, king of Israel. Then he will leave me alone."

4And Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

Ben-hadad listened to King Asa. He sent the leaders of his armies to attack the towns of Israel. They took Ijon, Dan, and Abel-maim. They also took all the towns of Naphtali where supplies were kept.

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

When Baasha heard this news, he stopped building at Ramah. He left the work unfinished.

6Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

Then King Asa gathered all the men of Judah. They carried away the stones and the wood that Baasha had been building with. Asa used them to build up the towns of Geba and Mizpah.