1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah. He fortified Ramah, so that no one could go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
2Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house. He sent them to Benhadad king of Syria, who lived at Damascus, and said,
3"There is an agreement between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Go and break your agreement with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will leave me alone."
4Benhadad listened to King Asa. He sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they struck Ijon, Dan, Abelmaim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali.
5When Baasha heard it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and let his work come to an end.
6Then King Asa took all Judah with him. They carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, which Baasha had been building with, and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.
7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "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 out of your hand."
8"Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge army, with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he handed them over to you."
9"For the eyes of the LORD move here and there through the whole earth, to show himself strong for those whose heart is perfect toward him. In this you have acted foolishly. So from now on you will have wars."
10Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was in a rage with him about this. At that same time Asa crushed some of the people.
11Look, the acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet, and his disease grew very severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the doctors.
13So Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the forty-first year of his reign.
14They buried him in his own tombs, which he had made for himself in the city of David. They laid him on the bed which was filled with sweet perfumes and many kinds of spices, prepared by the perfumers' skill, and they made a very great fire in his honour.