2 Chronicles 16

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. Asa took silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the king's palace, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, “There is a treaty between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. I have sent you silver and gold. Go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so he will withdraw from me.” Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent his army commanders against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the storehouses of the cities of Naphtali. When Baasha heard of it, he stopped fortifying Ramah and ceased his work. King Asa mobilized all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah that Baasha had been using to build. With them he built Geba and Mizpah. At 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, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army, with a great many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, he gave them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the whole earth, so he may show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to him. You have acted foolishly in this. From now on you will have wars.” Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was furious with him over this. At that time Asa also oppressed some of the people. The acts of Asa, from first to last, are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a disease in his feet, and his illness became very severe. Yet even in his illness he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. Asa lay down with his fathers and died in the forty-first year of his reign. They buried him in the tombs he had dug for himself in the City of David. They laid him on a bier filled with spices and various mixtures prepared by the perfumer's art, and made a very great fire in his honor.

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