| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. | 1In the eighteenth year of Israel's King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah |
| 2He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. | 2and reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. |
| 3Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. | 3Abijah set his army of warriors in order with 400,000 choice men. Jeroboam arranged his mighty army of 800,000 choice men in battle formation against him. |
| 4Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! | 4Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Jeroboam and all Israel, hear me. |
| 5Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? | 5Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? |
| 6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, | 6But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. |
| 7and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them. | 7Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them. |
| 8“And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. | 8"And now you are saying you can assert yourselves against the LORD's kingdom, which is in the hand of one of David's sons. You are a vast number and have with you the golden calves that 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 priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. | 9Didn't you banish the priests of Yahweh, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and make your own priests like the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to ordain himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods. |
| 10But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. | 10"But as for us, Yahweh is our God. We have not abandoned Him; the priests ministering to the LORD are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites serve at their tasks. |
| 11They offer to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him. | 11They offer a burnt offering and fragrant incense to the LORD every morning and every evening, and they set the rows of the bread of the Presence on the ceremonially clean table. They light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are carrying out the requirements of Yahweh our God, while you have abandoned Him. |
| 12Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.” | 12Look, God and His priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don't fight against the LORD God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed." |
| 13Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. | 13Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to advance from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. |
| 14And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets. | 14Judah turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets, |
| 15Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. | 15and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. |
| 16The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. | 16So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them. |
| 17Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. | 17Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 choice men of Israel were killed. |
| 18Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers. | 18The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the LORD, the God of their ancestors. |
| 19And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. | 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages. |
| 20Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down, and he died. | 20Jeroboam no longer retained his power during Abijah's reign; ultimately, the LORD struck him and he died. |
| 21But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. | 21However, Abijah grew strong, acquired 14 wives, and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. |
| 22The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo. | 22The rest of the events of Abijah's reign, along with his ways and his sayings, are written in the Writing of the Prophet Iddo. |
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