Then, in the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, Baasa king of Israel invaded Juda, and began making a fortified city of Rama, so as to deny Asa’s subjects free passage.

Whereupon Asa took out all the silver and gold that was left in the treasure-chambers of temple and palace; this he sent to Benadad, king of Syria, at Damascus, with the message,

There is an alliance between us; were not thy father and mine ever at peace? Witness these gifts of silver and gold I send thee; do thou annul the treaty thou hast made with Baasa, king of Israel, and help me drive him out of my country.

Thus approached, Benadad sent out his generals with orders to attack the cities of Israel; Ahion they overcame, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the fortified cities of Nephthali.

So Baasa, when the news reached him, left his plan of fortifying Rama half-finished;

and Asa, with all Juda at his back, carried off the stones and wood-work that should have been used towards it, and with these fortified Gabaa and Maspha instead.

Thereupon the prophet Hanani came into the royal presence, with this message: This was ill done, to call the king of Syria to thy aid. If thou hadst put thy trust in the Lord, the army of Syria itself should have been at thy mercy.

Stronger in chariots and horsemen, stronger in their huge array, were the Libyans and Ethiopians over whom the Lord gave thee mastery, in return for thy trust.

Wide as earth is the Lord’s scrutiny, and there he gives mastery where he finds hearts that have utter faith in him. Thou hast played a fool’s part; henceforward, there shall be no lack of wars to threaten thee.

At this, Asa fell into a rage, and had the prophet committed to prison, to vent his high displeasure; it was at this time, too, that he put many of his subjects to death.

All that Asa did, first and last, is set down in the Annals of the kings of Israel and Juda.

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, a malignant disease attacked his feet; nor, in that sickness, did he have recourse to the Lord, trusting rather in the skill of physicians.

So, dying in the fortieth year of his reign, he was laid to rest with his fathers,✻

and they buried him in the tomb that had been dug for him by his own orders, in the Keep of David. There he lay, on his own bed, that was piled high with spices and rare ointments, mingled with all the perfumer’s art; and these, in high funeral pomp, they burned over his grave.