Abijah King of Judah
1Abijah became king of Judah. It was in the 18th year of Jeroboam’s rule over Israel. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat. 2Abijah ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother’s name was Maakah. She was Abishalom’s daughter.
3Abijah committed all the sins his father had committed before him. Abijah didn’t obey the Lord his God with all his heart. He didn’t do what King David had done. 4But the Lord still kept the lamp of Abijah’s kingdom burning brightly in Jerusalem. He did it by giving him a son to be the next king after him. He also did it by making Jerusalem strong. The Lord did those things because of David. 5David had done what was right in the sight of the Lord. He had kept all the Lord’s commands. He had obeyed them all the days of his life. But he hadn’t obeyed the Lord in the case of Uriah, the Hittite.
6There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam all through Abijah’s life. 7The other events of Abijah’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. All these things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8Abijah joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the City of David. Abijah’s son Asa became the next king after him.
Asa King of Judah
9Asa became king of Judah. It was in the 20th year that Jeroboam was king of Israel. 10Asa ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah. She was Abishalom’s daughter.
11Asa did what was right in the sight of the Lord. That’s what King David had done. 12Asa threw out of the land the male prostitutes who were at the temples. He got rid of all the statues of gods made by his people of long ago. 13He even removed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother. That’s because she had made a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. The Lord hated it. So Asa cut it down. He burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14Asa didn’t remove the high places from Israel. But he committed his whole life completely to the Lord. 15He and his father had set apart silver, gold and other things to the Lord. Asa brought them into the Lord’s temple.
16There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings. 17Baasha was king of Israel. He marched out against Judah. Baasha built up the walls of Ramah. He did it to keep people from leaving or entering the territory of Asa, the king of Judah.
18Asa took all the silver and gold left among the treasures of the Lord’s temple and his own palace. He put his officials in charge of it. He sent the officials to Ben-Hadad. Ben-Hadad was king of Aram. He was ruling in Damascus. He was the son of Tabrimmon and the grandson of Hezion. 19“Let’s make a peace treaty between us,” Asa said. “My father and your father had made a peace treaty between them. Now I’m sending you a gift of silver and gold. So break your treaty with Baasha, the king of Israel. Then he’ll go back home.”
20Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent his army commanders against the towns of Israel. He captured Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and the whole area of Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21Baasha heard about it. So he stopped building up Ramah. He went back home to Tirzah. 22Then King Asa gave an order to all the men of Judah. Everyone was required to help. They carried away from Ramah the stones and wood Baasha had been using there. King Asa used them to build up Geba in the territory of Benjamin. He also used them to build up Mizpah.
23All the other events of Asa’s rule are written down, including the cities he built. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah. But when Asa became old, his feet began to give him trouble. 24He joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in his family tomb. It was in the city of King David. Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became the next king after him.
Nadab King of Israel
25Nadab became king of Israel. It was in the second year that Asa was king of Judah. Nadab ruled over Israel for two years. He was the son of Jeroboam. 26Nadab did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way his father had lived. He committed the same sin his father Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
27Baasha was from the tribe of Issachar. He was the son of Ahijah. Baasha made plans against Nadab and struck him down at Gibbethon. It was a Philistine town. Baasha struck him down while Nadab and all the men of Israel were getting ready to attack Gibbethon. 28He killed Nadab in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha became the next king after Nadab.
29As soon as Baasha became king, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He didn’t leave any of them alive. He destroyed every one of them. He did what the Lord had said would happen. The Lord had spoken that message through his servant Ahijah from Shiloh. 30The Lord judged Jeroboam’s family because of the sins Jeroboam had committed. He had also caused Israel to commit those same sins. He had made the Lord very angry. The Lord is the God of Israel.
31The other events of Nadab’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Israel. 32There was war between Asa and Baasha, the king of Israel. It lasted the whole time they were kings.
Baasha King of Israel
33Baasha became king of Israel in Tirzah. It was in the third year that Asa was king of Judah. Baasha ruled for 24 years. He was the son of Ahijah. 34Baasha did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way Jeroboam had lived. He committed the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.
Abiya Mfumu ya Yuda
1Mʼchaka cha 18 cha ulamuliro wa Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati, Abiya anakhala mfumu ya Yuda, 2ndipo analamulira mu Yerusalemu zaka zitatu. Amayi ake anali Maaka, mwana wa Abisalomu.
3Abiya anachita zoyipa zonse zimene abambo ake anazichita. Sanali wangwiro pamaso pa Yehova Mulungu wake, monga linachitira kholo lake Davide. 4Komabe chifukwa cha Davide, Yehova Mulungu wake anamupatsa nyale mu Yerusalemu pomupatsa mwana wolowa mʼmalo mwake ndi kumukhazikitsa kukhala wamphamvu mu Yerusalemu; 5pakuti Davide anachita zolungama pamaso pa Yehova ndipo sanalephere kusunga chilichonse chimene Yehova anamulamula masiku onse a moyo wake kupatula nkhani ija ya Uriya Mhiti.
6Panali nkhondo pakati pa Rehobowamu ndi Yeroboamu masiku onse a moyo wa Abiya. 7Tsono ntchito zina za Abiya, ndi zina zonse anachita, kodi sizinalembedwe mʼbuku la mbiri ya mafumu a Yuda? Panali nkhondo pakati pa Abiya ndi Yeroboamu. 8Ndipo Abiya anamwalira nayikidwa mʼmanda momwe anayikidwa makolo ake mu Mzinda wa Davide. Ndipo Asa, mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.
Asa Mfumu ya Yuda
9Mʼchaka cha makumi awiri cha Yeroboamu mfumu ya Israeli, Asa anakhala mfumu ya Yuda, 10ndipo analamulira mu Yerusalemu kwa zaka 41. Agogo ake akazi anali Maaka mwana wa Abisalomu.
11Asa anachita zolungama pamaso pa Yehova monga anachitira Davide kholo lake. 12Iye anachotsa mʼdzikomo amuna onse ochita zadama pochita chipembedzo chawo ndiponso anachotsa mafano onse amene makolo ake anawapanga. 13Iye anachotsanso gogo wake Maaka pa udindo wake wa amayi a mfumu, chifukwa choti anapanga fano lonyansa la Asera. Asa anagwetsa fanolo nakalitentha ku Chigwa cha Kidroni. 14Ngakhale sanachotse malo opembedzerapo mafano, mtima wa Asa unali wodzipereka kwathunthu kwa Yehova masiku onse a moyo wake. 15Asa anabweretsa ku Nyumba ya Yehova zinthu zimene abambo ake anazipereka, ndiponso zinthu zimene iye mwini anazipereka: zagolide, siliva ndi ziwiya zotengera.
16Panali nkhondo pakati pa Asa ndi Baasa mfumu ya Israeli nthawi yonse ya ulamuliro wawo. 17Baasa mfumu ya Israeli anapita kukathira nkhondo dziko la Yuda, ndipo anamangira linga mzinda wa Rama kuletsa kuti wina aliyense asatuluke kapena kulowa mʼdziko la Asa, mfumu ya Yuda.
18Tsono Asa anatenga siliva yense pamodzi ndi golide zimene zinatsala ku malo osungira chuma cha ku Nyumba ya Yehova ndiponso ku nyumba yake yaufumu. Anazipereka kwa atumiki ake, nawatuma kupita nazo kwa Beni-Hadadi mwana wa Tabirimoni, mwana wa Heziyoni, mfumu ya Aramu, amene ankakhala ku Damasiko ndipo anakamuwuza kuti, 19“Tiyeni tigwirizane inu ndi ine, monga panali mgwirizano pakati pa abambo anu ndi abambo anga. Onani, ndikukutumizirani mphatso za siliva ndi golide. Tsopano kathetseni mgwirizano wanu ndi Baasa mfumu ya Israeli kuti andisiye.”
20Choncho Beni-Hadadi anamvera zimene ananena mfumu Asa ndipo anatumiza olamulira magulu ake ankhondo ku mizinda ya Israeli. Ndipo iye anagonjetsa Iyoni, Dani, Abeli-Beti-Maaka ndi dera lonse la Kinereti kuphatikiza dziko lonse la Nafutali. 21Baasa atamva zimenezi, anasiya kumangira linga Rama ndipo anakakhala ku Tiriza. 22Pamenepo Mfumu Asa analamula anthu onse a ku Yuda osasiya ndi mmodzi yemwe, ndipo anachotsa ku Rama miyala ndi matabwa amene Baasa ankamangira kumeneko. Zipangizo zimenezi Mfumu Asa inamangira linga la Geba ku Benjamini ndi la ku Mizipa.
23Tsono ntchito zina za Asa, za mphamvu zake ndi mizinda imene anayimanga ndi zina zonse zimene anachita, kodi sizinalembedwe mʼbuku la mbiri ya mafumu a Yuda? Koma pa nthawi ya ukalamba wake anadwala nthenda ya mapazi. 24Ndipo Asa anamwalira nayikidwa mʼmanda momwe anayikidwa makolo ake mu mzinda wa Davide kholo lake. Ndipo Yehosafati mwana wake analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.
Nadabu Mfumu ya Israeli
25Nadabu, mwana wa Yeroboamu anakhala mfumu ya Israeli mʼchaka chachiwiri cha Asa mfumu ya Yuda, ndipo analamulira Israeli zaka ziwiri. 26Nadabu anachita zoyipa pamaso pa Yehova, anayenda mʼnjira za abambo ake ndi mu uchimo womwe anachimwitsa nawo Israeli.
27Baasa mwana wa Ahiya, wa banja la Isakara anakonzera Nadabuyo chiwembu, ndipo anamukantha ku Gibetoni, mzinda wa Afilisti, pamene Nadabu ndi anthu onse a ku Israeli anali atawuzungulira. 28Baasa anapha Nadabu mʼchaka chachitatu cha Asa, mfumu ya ku Yuda ndipo analowa ufumu mʼmalo mwake.
29Iye atangoyamba kulamulira, anapha anthu onse a banja la Yeroboamu. Sanasiye ndi mmodzi yemwe wamoyo pa banjapo, koma anawononga anthu onse, molingana ndi mawu a Yehova amene anayankhula mwa mtumiki wake Ahiya wa ku Silo 30chifukwa cha machimo amene Yeroboamu anachita, ndiponso kuchimwitsa anthu a ku Israeli, naputa mkwiyo wa Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli.
31Tsono ntchito za Nadabu ndi zina zonse zimene anazichita, kodi sizinalembedwe mʼbuku la mbiri ya mafumu a Israeli? 32Panali nkhondo pakati pa Asa ndi Baasa mfumu ya Israeli pa nthawi yonse ya ulamuliro wawo.
Baasa Mfumu ya Israeli
33Chaka chachitatu cha Asa mfumu ya Yuda, Baasa mwana wa Ahiya anakhala mfumu ya Aisraeli onse ku Tiriza, ndipo analamulira zaka 24. 34Anachita zoyipa pamaso pa Yehova, nayenda mʼnjira za Yeroboamu ndi kuchita tchimo lake limene linachimwitsa anthu a ku Israeli.
