1 Mas no trigésimo sexto ano do reinado de Asa, rei de Israel, Baasa fez guerra contra Judá. Fez fortificações em Ramá, a fim de bloquear todas as comunicações com Asa, rei de Judá.2 Mas Asa mandou tomar a prata e o ouro dos tesouros do templo e do palácio real, e enviou uma delegação a Ben-Hadad, rei da Síria, para lhe dizer:3 Aliemo-nos, como foram aliados teu pai e o meu. Eu te envio prata e ouro. Rompe tua aliança com Baasa, rei de Israel, para que ele se afaste de mim.4 Ben-Hadad ouviu o rei Asa: enviou seus generais contra as cidades de Israel. Estes tomaram Aion, Dã, Abel-Main e todas as cidades de Neftali que serviam de entrepostos.5 A essa notícia, Baasa interrompeu os trabalhos de fortificação de Ramá.6 Então o rei Asa convocou todos os judeus para tirar as pedras e madeiras das quais Baasa se tinha servido para construir Ramá: serviu-se delas para fortificar Gabaa e Masfa.7 Por essa época, o vidente Hanani veio à procura de Asa, rei de Judá, e lhe disse: Porque te apoiaste no rei da Síria e não no Senhor teu Deus, o exército da Síria escapou de tuas mãos.8 Não formavam os etíopes e os líbios um exército inumerável, com uma multidão de carros e cavaleiros? E, contudo, o Senhor os entregou a ti porque tu te apoiaste nele.9 Os olhos do Senhor percorrem toda a terra para sustentar aqueles cujo coração lhe é totalmente devotado. Tu te comportaste tolamente nesse negócio, pois doravante terás continuamente guerras.10 Irritado contra o vidente, no assomo de ira em que o puseram suas palavras, Asa mandou metê-lo na prisão. Pelo mesmo tempo, Asa oprimiu também alguns de seus súditos.11 As ações e os feitos de Asa, desde os primeiros até os últimos, estão relatados no livro dos Reis de Judá e de Israel.12 No trigésimo nono ano de seu reinado, Asa tornou-se gotoso e sofreu violentamente. Durante sua doença, ele não procurou o apoio do Senhor, mas o dos médicos.13 Ele adormeceu com seus pais e morreu no quadragésimo primeiro ano de seu reinado.14 Foi sepultado na tumba que tinha mandado cavar para si na cidade de Davi; estenderam-no num leito que tinham enchido de perfumes aromáticos, preparados segundo a arte do perfumista, e queimaram-lhe quantidade considerável desse perfume.

1 In the six–and–thirtieth year of the reign of Assa, came up Ba’sha the king of Israel against Judah, and built Kamah, in order not to suffer any one to go out or come in to Assa the king of Judah.2 Then did Assa bring out silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent them to Ben–hadad the king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,3 A covenant is between me and thee, as between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee silver and gold; go, break thy covenant with Ba’sha the king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.4 And Ben–hadad hearkened unto king Assa, and sent the captains of the armies that he had against the cities of Israel, and they smote ‘Iyon, and Dan, and Abel–mayim, and all the treasure–cities of Naphtali.5 And it came to pass, when Ba’sha heard this, that he left off the building of Ramah, and stopped his work.6 And king Assa took then all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and its timber, wherewith Ba’sha had built; and he built therewith Geba’ and Mizpah.7 And at that time came Chanani the seer to Assa the king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and hast not relied on the Lord thy God: therefore is the army of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hands.8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim a numerous army, with chariots and horsemen in great abundance? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he gave them up into thy hand.9 For as regardeth the Lord, his eyes roam throughout the whole earth, to hold strongly with those whose heart is entire toward him: thou hast done foolishly for this reason; because from this time forth there will be wars with thee.10 Then became Assa incensed toward the seer, and put him in a prison–house; for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Assa oppressed some of the people at the same time.11 And, behold, the acts of Assa, the first and the last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.12 And Assa became sick in the thirty–and–ninth year of his reign in his feet, his disease being exceedingly severe: yet even in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but applied to the physicians.13 And Assa slept with his fathers, and died in the one–and–fortieth year of his reign.14 And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had dug for himself in the city of David, and they laid him in the couch which was filled with sweet odors and divers kinds of spices mixed by the apothecary’s art; and they made for him a burning uncommonly great.