.
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.

4. Whereupon Asa was afraid of the attempts the enemy might make upon
him; and considering with himself how many mischiefs this army that was
left in Ramah might do to the country over which he reigned, he sent
ambassadors to the king of the Damascenes, with gold and silver,
desiring his assistance, and putting him in mind that we have had a
friendship together from the times of our forefathers. So he gladly
received that sum of money, and made a league with him, a