Abijah Reigns in Judah
(1 Kings 15:1–8)

1In the eyghteenth yeere of King Ieroboam began Abiiah to reigne ouer Iudah. 2He reigned three yere in Ierusalem: (his mothers name also was Michaiah the daughter of Vriel of Gibea) and there was warre betweene Abiiah and Ieroboam. 3And Abiiah set the battel in aray with the armie of valiant men of warre, euen foure hundreth thousand chosen men. Ieroboam also set the battell in aray against him with eight hundreth thousande chosen men which were strong and valiant.

Civil War against Jeroboam

4And Abiiah stood vp vpon mount Zemeraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and sayde, O Ieroboam, and all Israel, heare you me, 5Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel hath giuen the kingdome ouer Israel to Dauid for euer, euen to him and to his sonnes by a couenant of salt? 6And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat the seruant of Salomon the sonne of Dauid is risen vp, and hath rebelled against his lord: 7And there are gathered to him vayne men and wicked, and made themselues strong against Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon: for Rehoboboam was but a childe and tender hearted, & coulde not resist them.

8Now therefore ye thinke that yee be able to resist against the kingdome of the Lorde, which is in the handes of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye bee a great multitude, and the golden calues are with you which Ieroboam made you for gods. 9Haue ye not driuen away the Priestes of the Lorde the sonnes of Aaron and the Leuites, and haue made you Priests like the people of other countreis? whosoeuer commeth to consecrate with a yong bullocke and seuen rams, the same may be a Priest of them that are no gods. 10But wee belong vnto the Lorde our God, and haue not forsaken him, and the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron minister vnto the Lord, and the Leuites in their office. 11And they burne vnto the Lorde euery morning and euery euening burnt offerings and sweete incense, and the breade is set in order vpon the pure table, and the candlesticke of golde with the lampes thereof, to burne euery euening: for we keepe the watch of the Lord our God: but ye haue forsaken him. 12And behold, this God is with vs, as a captaine, and his Priests with the sounding trumpets, to crie an alarme against you. O yee children of Israel, fight not against the Lorde God of your fathers: for ye shall not prosper.

13But Ieroboam caused an ambushment to compasse, and come behind them, when they were before Iudah, and the ambushment behinde them. 14Then Iudah looked, and beholde, the battel was before and behinde them, and they cried vnto the Lorde, and the Priests blewe with the trumpets, 15And the men of Iudah gaue a shoute: and euen as the men of Iudah shouted, God smote Ieroboam and also Israel before Abiiah and Iudah. 16And the children of Israel fledde before Iudah, & God deliuered them into their hande. 17And Abiiah and his people slewe a great slaughter of them, so that there fel downe wounded of Israel fiue hundreth thousand chosen men. 18So the children of Israel were brought vnder at that time: and the children of Iudah preuailed, because they stayed vpon the Lord God of their fathers. 19And Abiiah pursued after Ieroboam, and tooke cities from him, euen Beth-el, and the villages thereof, and Ieshanah with her villages, and Ephron with her villages.

20And Ieroboam recouered no strength againe in the dayes of Abiiah, but the Lorde plagued him, and he dyed.

21So Abiiah waxed mightie, and marryed foureteene wiues, and begate two and twentie sonnes, and sixteene daughters. 22The rest of the actes of Abiiah and his maners and his sayings are written in the storie of the Prophet Iddo.