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[298]
And this was the state of Asa, king of the two tribes. I now return
to Baasha, the king of the multitude of the Israelites, who slew Nadab,
the son of Jeroboam, and retained the government. He dwelt in the city
Tirzah, having made that his habitation, and reigned twenty-four years.
He became more wicked and impious than Jeroboam or his son. He did a great
deal of mischief to the multitude, and was injurious to God, who sent the
prophet Jehu, and told him beforehand that his whole family should be destroyed,
and that he would bring the same miseries on his house which had brought
that of Jeroboam to ruin; because when he had been made king by him, he
had not requited his kindness, by governing the multitude righteously and
religiously; which things, in the first place, tended to their own happiness,
and, in the next place, were pleasing to God: that he had imitated this
very wicked king Jeroboam; and although that man's soul had perished, yet
did he express to the life his wickedness; and he said that he should therefore
justly experience the like calamity with him, since he had been guilty
of the like wickedness. But Baasha, though he heard beforehand what miseries
would befall him and his whole family for their insolent behavior, yet
did not he leave off his wicked practices for the time to come, nor did
he care to appear other than worse and worse till he died; nor did he then
repent of his past actions, nor endeavor to obtain pardon of God for them,
but did as those do who have rewards proposed to them, when they have once
in earnest set about their work, they do not leave off their labors; for
thus did Baasha, when the prophet foretold to him what would come to pass,
grow worse, as if what were threatened, the perdition of his family, and
the destruction of his house, (which are really among the greatest of evils,)
were good things; and, as if he were a combatant for wickedness, he every
day took more and more pains for it: and at last he took his army and assaulted
a certain considerable city called Ramah, which was forty furlongs distant
from Jerusalem; and when he had taken it, he fortified it, having determined
beforehand to leave a garrison in it, that they might thence make excursions,
and do mischief to the kingdom of Asa.
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