2 Chronicles 13

1In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

2Three years reigned he in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valour.

4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said: ‘Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel;

5ought ye not to know that YHWH, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

7And there were gathered unto him vain men, base fellows that strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and faint-hearted, and could not withstand them.

8And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of YHWH in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

9Have ye not driven out the priests of YHWH, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same becometh a priest of them that are no gods.

10But as for us, YHWH is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and we have priests ministering unto YHWH, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work;

11and they burn unto YHWH every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense; the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of YHWH our God; but ye have forsaken Him.

12And, behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against YHWH, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.’

13But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto YHWH, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16And the children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.

17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon YHWH, the God of their fathers.

19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and YHWH smote him, and he died.

21But Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begot twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.