2 Chronicles 13:1-9 ▼

1 During the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.

2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was Uriel's daughter Micaiah from Gibeah. A war started between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 Abijah started the battle with an army of 400,000 specially chosen valiant soldiers, but Jeroboam opposed him with 800,000 specially chosen valiant soldiers.

4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and announced: |Listen to me, Jeroboam and Israel!

5 Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel assigned the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a salt covenant?

6 Even so, Nebat's son Jeroboam, who used to serve David's son Solomon, rose in rebellion against his own master!

7 Useless troublemakers soon gathered around him, who turned out to be too strong for Rehoboam, because he was young, timid, and unable to withstand them.

8 |So now you think you'll be able to withstand the LORD's kingdom as controlled by David's descendants, just because you have a large crown and have brought with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

9 Haven't you already driven away the LORD's priests, the descendants of Aaron and the descendants of Levi? Haven't you established your own priests like the people of other lands?