2 ChroniclesChapter 16
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1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's rule, Baasha king of Israel attacked Judah. He built up the town of Ramah with strong walls. He did this to stop anyone from going out of or coming into the land of Asa king of Judah. 2So Asa took the silver and gold from the treasure rooms of the LORD's house and the royal palace. He sent it to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who ruled in Damascus. He sent this message with it: 3"Let there be a treaty between you and me, like the one between my father and your father. Look, I have sent you silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel. Then he will pull back from me." 4Ben-hadad agreed with King Asa. He sent the commanders of his armies against the towns of Israel. They took over Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5When Baasha heard about this, he stopped building up Ramah. He left his work there. 6Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah. They carried away the stones and wood that Baasha had been using to build Ramah. Asa used these to build up Geba and Mizpah. 7At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah. He told him, "You trusted in the king of Aram and not in the LORD your God. Because of this, the army of the king of Aram has gotten away from you. 8Weren't the Cushites and Libyans a huge army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet you trusted in the LORD, so he handed them over to you. 9For the eyes of the LORD look all over the whole earth. He wants to show his strength to help those whose hearts are fully true to him. You have done a foolish thing. So from now on you will have wars." 10Asa was angry with the seer. He was so furious about this that he put the man in prison. At that same time Asa was cruel to some of the people. 11The acts of Asa, from beginning to end, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12In the thirty-ninth year of his rule, Asa got a disease in his feet. His disease became very bad. Yet even when he was sick, he did not seek help from the LORD. He only went to the doctors. 13So in the forty-first year of his rule, Asa died and joined his ancestors. 14He was buried in the tomb he had cut out for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bed that was filled with spices and many kinds of mixed perfumes. Then they made a huge fire to honor him.