1 Abião começou o seu reinado de apenas três anos como rei de Judá, em Jerusalém, dezoito anos após o início do reinado de Jeroboão rei de Israel. (A mãe de Abião chamava-se Maacá; era filha de Absalão.)3 Pecou ainda mais do que o seu pai; o seu coração não foi recto para com Deus, como tinha sido o do rei David.4 Apesar do pecado de Abião, o Senhor lembrou-se do amor que tinha por David e não fez terminar a sua linhagem real,5 visto que David obedecera a Deus todo o tempo da sua vida, excepto naquele assunto de Urias, o heteu.6 Durante o reinado de Abião continuou a haver sempre guerra entre os dois reinos de Judá e de Israel.7 O resto da história deste reinado está relatado nas Crónicas dos Reis de Judá.8 Quando morreu, foi enterrado em Jerusalém e o seu filho Asa reinou em seu lugar.9 Asa tornou-se rei de Judá em Jerusalém vinte anos depois de Jeroboão ter começado a reinar sobre Israel. Reinou quarenta e um anos. (A sua avó era Maacá, filha de Absalão.) Asa agradou ao Senhor à semelhança do seu antepassado David. Mandou executar os prostitutos, e retirar todos os ídolos que o seu pai mandara fazer. Destituíu a sua avó Maacá como rainha-mãe por ela ter mandado fazer um ídolo, que o monarca deitou abaixo e queimou no ribeiro de Cedrom. Contudo mantiveram-se os nichos sobre as colinas, apesar do coração de Asa se manter fiel ao Senhor toda a sua vida. Fez que estivessem expostos permanentemente no templo os escudos que o seu pai tinha mandado fazer e que tinha consagrado, ao mesmo tempo que os objectos de prata e de ouro que ele próprio dedicou.16 Houve guerra permanente entre o rei Asa de Judá e o rei Basha de Israel. O rei Basha construiu a cidade fortaleza de Ramá numa tentativa de cortar todas as relações com Jerusalém. Então Asa pegou em toda a prata e todo o ouro que ficara no templo e no palácio real e entregou-o aos líderes do seu reino para que levassem a Damasco como presente ao rei da Síria, Ben-Hadade, com esta mensagem:19 Tornemo-nos aliados tal como os nossos pais foram. Esta mensagem acompanha um presente de prata e de ouro. Anula, peço-te, a aliança que tens com Basha, o rei de Israel, para que me deixe em paz.20 Ben-Hadade concordou e mandou os seus exércitos contra algumas das povoações de Israel; destruiu Ijom, Dan, Abel-Bete-Maacá, toda a Quinerete e todas as povoações de Naftali. Quando Basha recebeu a notícia do ataque, deixou de construir Ramá e voltou para Tirza. O rei Asa fez circular em toda Judá uma proclamação pedindo a cada homem fisicamente apto que viesse ajudar a destruir Ramá e deitassem abaixo todas as construções de pedra e de madeira. O rei Asa empregou esses materiais para construir Geba, em Benjamim, e a cidade de Mizpá.23 O resto da biografia de Asa - as suas conquistas e feitos, mais os nomes das povoações que mandou construir - encontra-se nas Crónicas dos Reis de Judá. Na sua velhice o rei começou a padecer dos pés. Quando morreu foi sepultado no cemitério real em Jerusalém. Seu filho Jeosafá tornou-se o novo rei de Judá.25 Entretanto em Israel, Nadabe, filho de Jeroboão, tornara-se rei. Reinou dois anos, começando no segundo ano do reinado de Asa, rei de Judá. Não foi um bom rei. À semelhança do seu pai, adorou muito ídolos e levou Israel a pecar.27 Foi então que Basha (filho de Aías da tribo de Issacar) conspirou contra Nadabe e o assassinou quando, com o exército de Israel, estava a sitiar a cidade filistéia de Gibetom.28 Assim Basha substituiu Nadabe como rei de Israel, em Tirza, durante o terceiro ano do reinado de Asa, rei de Judá. Imediatamente matou todos os descendentes do rei Jeroboão, de tal forma que mais ninguém da família real ficou em vida, tal como o Senhor dissera que havia de acontecer quando falou por intermédio de Aías, o profeta de Silo. Isto foi assim porque Jeroboão acendeu a ira do Senhor Deus de Israel, pecando e levando o resto de Israel a pecar. Mais informações sobre o reinado de Basha estão registados nas Crónicas dos Reis de Israel.32 Houve continuamente guerra entre o rei Asa de Judá e o rei Basha de Israel. Basha reinou vinte e quatro anos, mas em todo esse tempo continuamente desobedeceu ao Senhor. Seguiu os maus caminhos de Jeroboão, levando Israel ao pecado da adoração de ídolos.

1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah.2 Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.4 Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem:5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.12 And he banished the sodomites from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron.14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.15 And he brought the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.16 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.17 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.18 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 Ben-hadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,19 There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent to thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.20 So Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa, and sent the captains of the armies which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-beth-maachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.21 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard of it, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, with which Baasha had built it; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.23 The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.24 And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.27 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.28 Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead.29 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 to the saying of the LORD, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation with which he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.31 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?32 And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.33 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.34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.