Asa's Last Years

2 Chronicles 16

1 v In the w thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, x that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa took silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king's house and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 "There is a covenant 1 between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me." 4 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the y store cities of Naphtali. 5 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah and let his work cease. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.

7 At that time z Hanani a the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, b "Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 8 Were not c the Ethiopians and d the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet e because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand. 9 f For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those g whose heart is blameless toward him. h You have done foolishly in this, for from now on i you will have wars." 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him j in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.

11 k The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians. 13 And Asa slept with his fathers, dying in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier l that had been filled with various kinds of spices prepared by the perfumer's art, m and they made a very great fire in his honor.

  1. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 16:1 - 6
    In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
    1 Kings 15:17 - 22
    Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might permit no one to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
  2. Cross References
    1 Kings 16:8
    In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah the son of Baasha began to reign over Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned two years.
  3. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 15:9
    And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were residing with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 1:11
    Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.
  5. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 19:2
    But Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord ? Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord.
    1 Kings 16:1
    And the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying.
  6. Cross References
    1 Samuel 9:9
    (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.)
  7. Cross References
    Isaiah 31:1
    Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!
    Jeremiah 17:5
    Thus says the Lord : "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.
  8. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 14:9
    Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, and came as far as Mareshah.
  9. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 12:3
    With 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt - Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians.
  10. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 13:16
    The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.
    2 Chronicles 13:18
    Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers.
  11. Cross References
    Zechariah 4:10
    For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.
    Proverbs 15:3
    The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
  12. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:61
    Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.
  13. Cross References
    1 Samuel 13:13
    And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
  14. Cross References
    1 Kings 15:16
    And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
    1 Kings 15:32
    And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.
  15. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 18:26
    And say, 'Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.'
  16. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 16:11 - 14
    The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
    1 Kings 15:23 - 24
    Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his might, and all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 50:2
    And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel.
    Mark 16:1
    When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.
    John 19:39 - 40
    Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.
  18. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 21:19
    In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony. His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers.
    Jeremiah 34:5
    You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, "Alas, lord!"' For I have spoken the word, declares the Lord.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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