Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam

1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2He reigned in Jerusalem for three years; and his mother’s name was [a]Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3Abijah began the battle with an army of warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men who were valiant warriors.

Civil War

4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David [b]and 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 [c]master, 7and worthless men gathered to him, wicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when [d]he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

8“So now you intend to assert yourselves against the kingdom of the LORD [e]through the sons of David, [f]being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of things that are not gods. 10But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the LORD as priests, and the Levites [g]attend to their work. 11Every morning and evening they [h]burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we perform our duty to the LORD our God, but you have abandoned Him. 12Now behold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the war cry against you. Sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

13But Jeroboam had set an ambush to come from behind, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14When Judah turned around, behold, [i]they were attacked both from front and rear; so they cried out to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, God [j]defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16When the sons of Israel fled from Judah, God handed them over to them. 17Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18The sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah [k]conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers. 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and [l]Ephron with its villages.

Death of Jeroboam