3. He did all the same sins that his father before him had done. Abijah was not faithful to the Lord his God. In this way he was not like his grandfather, David.
4. But for David’s sake, the Lord gave Abijah a kingdom in Jerusalem and allowed him to have a son. He also kept Jerusalem safe.
5. David had always done what the Lord said was right. He had always obeyed his commands. The only time David did not obey the Lord was when he sinned against Uriah the Hittite.
6. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always fighting against each other.
7. The rest of what Abijah did is written in the book, The History of the Kings of Judah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam during the whole time that Abijah was king.
8. When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Abijah’s son Asa became the new king after him.
9. During Jeroboam’s 20th year as king over Israel, Asa became king of Judah.
10. He ruled in Jerusalem for 41 years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah, and she was the daughter of Absalom.
11. Asa did what the Lord said is right, as his ancestor David did.
12. During Asa’s time there were men who served other gods by selling their bodies for sex. Asa forced them to leave the country. He took away the idols that his ancestors had made.
13. King Asa also took away the right of his mother Maacah to be queen mother. He did this because she had set up one of those awful Asherah poles. Asa cut down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.
14. Asa did not destroy the high places, even though he was faithful to the Lord all his life.