2 He reigned three years in Yerushalayim; his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
sha-LOSH sha-NEEM ma-LAKH bee-ru-sha-LA-im v’-SHAYM i-MO ma-a-KHAH bat a-vee-sha-LOM
3 He continued in all the sins that his father before him had committed; he was not wholehearted with Hashem his God, like his father David.
ג וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּכָל־חַטֹּאות אָבִיו אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה לְפָנָיו וְלֹא־הָיָה לְבָבוֹ שָׁלֵם עִם־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו כִּלְבַב דָּוִד אָבִיו׃
4 Yet, for the sake of David, Hashem his God gave him a lamp in Yerushalayim, by raising up his descendant after him and by preserving Yerushalayim.
ד כִּי לְמַעַן דָּוִד נָתַן יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו לוֹ נִיר בִּירוּשָׁלִָם לְהָקִים אֶת־בְּנוֹ אַחֲרָיו וּלְהַעֲמִיד אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃
5 For David had done what was pleasing to Hashem and never turned throughout his life from all that He had commanded him, except in the matter of Uriya the Hittite.
ה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה דָוִד אֶת־הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וְלֹא־סָר מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּהוּ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו רַק בִּדְבַר אוּרִיָּה הַחִתִּי׃
6 There was war between Aviyam and Yerovam all the days of his life.
ט וּבִשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים לְיָרָבְעָם מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל מָלַךְ אָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה׃
10 He reigned forty-one years in Yerushalayim; his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
יא וַיַּעַשׂ אָסָא הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה כְּדָוִד אָבִיו׃
12 He expelled the male prostitutes from the land, and he removed all the idols that his ancestors had made.
יב וַיַּעֲבֵר הַקְּדֵשִׁים מִן־הָאָרֶץ וַיָּסַר אֶת־כָּל־הַגִּלֻּלִים אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָיו׃
13 He also deposed his mother Maacah from the rank of queen mother, because she had made an abominable thing for [the goddess] Asherah. Asa cut down her abominable thing and burnt it in the Wadi Kidron.
יג וְגַם אֶת־מַעֲכָה אִמּוֹ וַיְסִרֶהָ מִגְּבִירָה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָה מִפְלֶצֶת לָאֲשֵׁרָה וַיִּכְרֹת אָסָא אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּהּ וַיִּשְׂרֹף בְּנַחַל קִדְרוֹן׃
14 The shrines, indeed, were not abolished; however, Asa was wholehearted with Hashem his God all his life.
15 He brought into the House of Hashem all the consecrated things of his father and his own consecrated things—silver, gold, and utensils.
טו וַיָּבֵא אֶת־קָדְשֵׁי אָבִיו וקדשו [וְקָדְשֵׁי] בֵּית יְהֹוָה כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וְכֵלִים׃
טז וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אָסָא וּבֵין בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל־יְמֵיהֶם׃
18 So Asa took all the silver and gold that remained in the treasuries of the House of Hashem as well as the treasuries of the royal palace, and he entrusted them to his officials. King Asa sent them to King Ben-hadad son of Tabrimmon son of Hezion of Aram, who resided in Damascus, with this message:
19 “There is a pact between you and me, and between your father and my father. I herewith send you a gift of silver and gold: Go and break your pact with King Basha of Yisrael, so that he may withdraw from me.”
יט בְּרִית בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ בֵּין אָבִי וּבֵין אָבִיךָ הִנֵּה שָׁלַחְתִּי לְךָ שֹׁחַד כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב לֵךְ הָפֵרָה אֶת־בְּרִיתְךָ אֶת־בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיַעֲלֶה מֵעָלָי׃
20 Ben-hadad responded to King Asa‘s request; he sent his army commanders against the towns of Yisrael and captured Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and all Chinneroth, as well as all the land of Naftali.
כ וַיִּשְׁמַע בֶּן־הֲדַד אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָא וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ עַל־עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּךְ אֶת־עִיּוֹן וְאֶת־דָּן וְאֵת אָבֵל בֵּית־מַעֲכָה וְאֵת כָּל־כִּנְרוֹת עַל כָּל־אֶרֶץ נַפְתָּלִי׃
24 Asa slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. His son Yehoshafat succeeded him as king.
כד וַיִּשְׁכַּב אָסָא עִם־אֲבֹתָיו וַיִּקָּבֵר עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר דָּוִד אָבִיו וַיִּמְלֹךְ יְהוֹשָׁפָט בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו׃
25 Nadav son of Yerovam had become king over Yisrael in the second year of King Asa of Yehuda, and he reigned over Yisrael for two years.
כה וְנָדָב בֶּן־יָרָבְעָם מָלַךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּמְלֹךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁנָתָיִם׃
26 He did what was displeasing to Hashem; he continued in the ways of his father, in the sins which he caused Yisrael to commit.
כו וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ אָבִיו וּבְחַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
27 Then Basha son of Achiya, of the House of Yissachar, conspired against him; and Basha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines, while Nadav and all Yisrael were laying siege to Gibbethon.
כז וַיִּקְשֹׁר עָלָיו בַּעְשָׁא בֶן־אֲחִיָּה לְבֵית יִשָּׂשכָר וַיַּכֵּהוּ בַעְשָׁא בְּגִבְּתוֹן אֲשֶׁר לַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְנָדָב וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל צָרִים עַל־גִּבְּתוֹן׃
30 because of the sins which Yerovam committed and which he caused Yisrael to commit thereby vexing Hashem, the God of Yisrael.
ל עַל־חַטֹּאות יָרָבְעָם אֲשֶׁר חָטָא וַאֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַעְסוֹ אֲשֶׁר הִכְעִיס אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
31 The other events of Nadav‘s reign and all his actions are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Yisrael.
לא וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי נָדָב וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הֲלֹא־הֵם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים לְמַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
לב וּמִלְחָמָה הָיְתָה בֵּין אָסָא וּבֵין בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל־יְמֵיהֶם׃
33 In the third year of King Asa of Yehuda, Basha son of Achiya became king in Tirtza over all Yisrael—for twenty-four years.
לג בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלֹשׁ לְאָסָא מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָלַךְ בַּעְשָׁא בֶן־אֲחִיָּה עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתִרְצָה עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע שָׁנָה׃
34 He did what was displeasing to Hashem; he followed the ways of Yerovam and the sins which he caused Yisrael to commit.
לד וַיַּעַשׂ הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ יָרָבְעָם וּבְחַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
The Hebrew name of the Holy City of Jerusalem is Yerushalayim (ירושלים). This name consists of two important words that capture the essence of the city: Yira (יראה), ‘fear,’ refers to the awe and reverence that everyone is supposed to have for the Almighty God. Indeed, one is able to feel a special connection to Hashem in this holy city, which can fill a person with both awe and fear. The second word is shalom (שלום), ‘peace.’ The prayer of all who serve Hashem is that He will bless the entire world with peace. This peace emanates from Yerushalayim, where everyone comes together in the worship of the Almighty. The best place to establish an awe-inspired connection with Hashem and to pray for peace is in His holy city, Yerushalayim.
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