Abijah Reigns in Judah
1Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.
2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor. formed battle lines
4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, you Jeroboam, and all Israel;
5Ought youp not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? agreement for preservation
6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and has rebelled against his lord.
7And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them. scoundrels, worthless; Worthlessness
8And now youp think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and youp be a great multitude, and there are with youp golden calves, which Jeroboam made youp for gods.
9Have youp not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made youp priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.
10But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests, which minister to the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: attend to; work
11And they burn to the Lord every morning and every evening burned sacrifices 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 the Lord our God; but youp have forsaken Him. duty
12And, behold, God Himself is with us for our captain, and His priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against youp. O children of Israel, fight youp not against the Lord God of yourp fathers; for youp 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: and they cried to the Lord, 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. attacked, defeated, destroyed, killed
16And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.
17And Abijah and his people killed 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 the Lord God of their fathers. subdued
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 the Lord struck him, and he died.
21But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and fathered twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. grew
22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
