¹⁶ King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah^(A) from her position as queen mother,^(B) because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah.^(C) Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley.^{(D) 17} Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. ¹⁸ He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.^(E)

¹⁹ There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Asa’s Last Years^(F)(G)

16 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha^(H) king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

² Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus.^{(I) 3} “Let there be a treaty^(J) between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

⁴ Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim^[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali.^{(K) 5} When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. ⁶ Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.^(L)