9 In the twentieth year of King Yarov’am’s (Jeroboam’s) reign over Yisrael (Israel), Asa became king of Yehudah (Judah) 10 and reigned from Yerushalem (Jerusalem) for forty-one years. (His grandmother was Avshalom’s (Absalom’s) daughter Ma’akah.) 11 Asa did what was pleasing to Yahweh, like his ancestor David had done, 12 and he expelled the male prostitutes from the country and removed all the idols made by the previous generations.[ref] 13 He also removed his grandmother Ma’akah from being queen-mother because she had made a horrid Asherah goddess, then he cut down her horrid idol and burnt it in the Kidron valley. 14 He didn’t remove the hilltop temples, but despite that he was fully devoted to Yahweh all his life. 15 He brought everything that father had dedicated, plus more of his own, into Yahweh’s temple, including gold, silver, and containers.

16 Asa and King Baesha of Yisrael were in a continual state of war during their reigns. 17 King Baesha invaded Yehudah (Judah) and fortified Ramah so that no one could pass in or out to help King Asa of Yehudah. 18 So Asa took all the remaining gold and silver from the temple and palace storerooms, and sent it with his servants to take to Ben-Hadad, son of Tavrimon, son of King Hezyon of Aram (Syria) who lived in Damesek (Damascus), to tell him, 19 “You and me have an agreement between us that was made by our two fathers, so look, I’ve sent a present of gold and silver to you. So then, break your agreement with King Baesha of Yisrael so he’ll give up on attacking me.”

20 Ben-Hadad did what king Asa requested, and he sent the commanders of his best warriors to attack Israeli cities including Iyon, Dan, Avel-Beyt-Ma’akah, and all Kineret along with all Naftali (Naphtali) region. 21 When King Baesha heard about that, he stopped fortifying Ramah and withdrew to Tirtsah.

22 Then King Asa informed all Yehudah that they were needed at Ramah. They removed the stones and timber from Baesha’s fortifications, and king Asa used the materials to build Geva (in Benyamin) and Mitspah. 23 Everything else that Asa did, and all his great works and all the cities he built, are described in the book of the events of the kings of Yehudah. However in his old age, he developed problems with his feet. 24 Then he died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David (also his ancestor) and his son Yehoshafat (Jehoshaphat) replaced him as king.

14 Then Aviyah died, and they buried him with his ancestors in ‘The city of David’, and his son Asa reigned in his place. During his rule, the country was peaceful for ten years. 2 Asa did what was good and right in his god Yahweh’s eyes—3 he removed the pagan altars and the hilltop shrines, smashed the sacred stone pillars, and cut the Asherah poles down. 4 He ordered the people in Yehudah (Judah) to worship Yahweh, their ancestors’ god, and to obey his instructions and regulations. 5 He removed all the hilltop shrines from Yehudah’s cities, and also the incense altars, and the kingdom was peaceful under his rule.