Baasha

16There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days.

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

17Baasha, 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.

And 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.

NoteRamah was a town on the road to Jerusalem. Building it up meant adding thick walls. Then soldiers could stand there and block the road.

18So 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:

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

NoteSyria was a country north of Israel. Damascus was its biggest city. A palace is the house where a king lives.

19"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."

There 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.

NoteKings made promises to help each other in wars. Asa wanted Benhadad to break that kind of promise.

20Benhadad 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.

So 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.

NoteThese were towns and lands in the north part of Israel.

21When Baasha heard this news, he stopped building up Ramah. He went back and stayed in the city of Tirzah.

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

NoteTirzah was the city where the kings of Israel lived then.

22Then 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.

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.

NoteGeba and Mizpah were towns near the border. Benjamin was one of Israel's family groups. Each group came from one of Jacob's sons.

27Baasha, 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.

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.

NoteThe Philistines were a people who lived by the sea. They often fought against Israel. Surrounding a town means the army camps all around it. No food can get in, so the people give up.

28Baasha killed Nadab in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Then Baasha became king in Nadab's place.

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

29As 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.

And 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:

NoteAhijah was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. He came from a town called Shiloh.

30This 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.

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.

31The other things Nadab did are written in another book. It is the book of the history of the kings of Israel.

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?

32There was war between Asa and Baasha, king of Israel, all their days.

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

33In 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.

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.

34Baasha 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.

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.

1Then the LORD gave a message to Jehu, the son of Hanani. It was against King Baasha.

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

NoteA message from the LORD came to a prophet. A prophet is someone who tells people what God says. This Jehu is not the same as the later King Jehu.

2God 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.

Forasmuch 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;

NoteJeroboam was the first king of Israel after the country split in two. He made statues of golden calves and told people to bow down to them. Later kings who copied him are said to walk "in the way of Jeroboam."

3So I will sweep away Baasha and his whole family. I will do to your family what I did to Jeroboam's family.

Behold, 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.

Note"House" here does not mean a building. It means a person's whole family, including children and grandchildren.

4Dogs will eat anyone in Baasha's family who dies in the city. Birds will eat anyone who dies out in the fields."

Him 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.

NoteBack then, being buried was very important to people. To be left outside for animals was the saddest, most shameful end anyone could think of.

5The 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.

Now 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?

NoteKings kept big record books about everything they did. That book is lost now. The Bible often points to it instead of repeating the whole story.

6Then Baasha died, like his fathers before him. He was buried in the town of Tirzah. His son Elah became king after him.

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

NoteThe King James says Baasha "slept with his fathers." That was a gentle way of saying he died, like his family before him.

7The LORD had sent that message through the prophet Jehu, son of Hanani. 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.

And 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.

NoteA prophet is someone who tells people what God says.

8Asa was king of Judah. In his twenty-sixth year, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel. He ruled from Tirzah for two years.

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

NoteIsrael had split into two countries with two kings. The north was called Israel. The south was called Judah. Writers marked time by saying which year of the other king's rule it was.

9One 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.

And 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.

NoteA chariot was a small cart pulled by horses. Soldiers rode in chariots to fight. Zimri was in charge of half the king's chariots.

10Zimri 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.

And 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.

11As 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.

And 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.

NoteA new king sometimes killed the old king's whole family. He did it so no relative could grow up and take the throne back.

12So Zimri destroyed Baasha's whole family. This happened just as the LORD had said through the prophet Jehu.

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

13It 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.

For 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.

NoteAn idol is a statue people bowed down to and called a god. The word "vanities" in the King James means things that are empty and cannot help anyone.

1It 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.

In 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.

NoteLong before this, Israel and Judah were one country. Then it split into two lands, each with its own king. So Israel and Judah were now enemies. Ramah was a town near the line between them. Building it up meant putting strong walls around it.

2So 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:

Then 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,

NoteThe LORD's house means the temple in Jerusalem. It was the special building where people came to worship God. Kings kept silver and gold safe there. Syria was a country to the north, past Israel. Damascus was its biggest city.

3"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."

There 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.

NoteKings made agreements, or promises, to help each other and not fight. If Ben-hadad broke his promise to Baasha, he could attack him instead.

4Ben-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.

And 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.

NoteIjon, Dan, and Abel-maim were towns in the far north of Israel. They were the closest ones to Syria, so they were attacked first.

5When Baasha heard this news, he stopped building at Ramah. He left the work unfinished.

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

6Then 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.

Then 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.

NoteStones and big pieces of wood were hard to get and cost a lot. So Asa's men carried them off and used them again. Geba and Mizpah were towns on Judah's border.