1In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.2Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the house of the king and sent it to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who was living in Damascus, saying:3There is a covenant between me and you, and between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.4Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces who were with him against the cities of Israel; they struck Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.5When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work.6King Asa then took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber that Baasha had used, and with them they 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 Aram and did not rely on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand."8Were not the Ethiopians and Libyans a very great army with many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand.9For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the whole earth to strengthen those whose heart is fully committed to him. You have acted foolishly in this matter; therefore from now on you will have wars.10Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, because he was enraged at him over this. And at that time Asa also oppressed some of the people.11The acts of Asa, from beginning to end, are indeed 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 was severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but sought help from physicians.13Then Asa rested with his fathers and died in the forty-first year of his reign.14They buried him in the tomb that he had cut for himself in the city of David. They laid him on a bier that was filled with spices and various kinds of mixed ointments, and they made a very great fire in his honor.