13:1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah,
13:2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah, a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
13:3 Abijah went into battle with a force of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.
13:4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me!
13:5 Don’t you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?
13:6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master.
13:7 Some worthless scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them.
13:8 “And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.
13:9 But didn’t you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.
13:10 “As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them.
13:11 Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him.
13:12 God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
13:13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them.
13:14 Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets
13:15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
13:16 The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.
13:17 Abijah and his men inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men.
13:18 The men of Israel were subdued on that occasion, and the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.
13:19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages.
13:20 Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down and he died.
13:21 But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
13:22 The other events of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo.
13:1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.
13:2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
13:3 And Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand choice men. And Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.
13:4 And Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:
13:5 Do you not know that Jehovah the God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?
13:6 But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.
13:7 And worthless men, just scoundrels, gathered around him and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender in heart and could not withstand them.
13:8 And now you think that you can withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David because you are a great multitude and with you are the golden calves that Jeroboam made as gods for you.
13:9 Have you not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And you made for yourselves priests like those of the peoples of other lands, so that anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a bull of the herd and seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods.
13:10 But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to Jehovah are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are in their work.
13:11 And they offer in smoke to Jehovah burnt offerings morning by morning and evening by evening as well as fragrant incense, and they set the rows of bread upon the pure table, and they care for the golden lampstand and its lamps that it may burn evening by evening; for we keep the charge of Jehovah our God, but you have forsaken Him.
13:12 And here with us is God at our head and His priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound out against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against Jehovah, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.
13:13 Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come up from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
13:14 And when Judah looked back, the battle was right on them, before and behind; and they cried out to Jehovah, and the priests sounded the trumpets.
13:15 And the men of Judah shouted; and when the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
13:16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.
13:17 And Abijah and his people struck a great blow on them, so that five hundred thousand choice men from Israel fell slain.
13:18 Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
13:19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel and its villages, and Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages.
13:20 And Jeroboam never regained power during the days of Abijah; but Jehovah struck him, and he died.
13:21 And Abijah grew stronger; and he took to himself fourteen wives and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
13:22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways and his words are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.