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13 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam Abijah reigned upon Judah; (In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign upon Judah;)

he reigned three years in Jerusalem; and the name of his mother was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And battle was betwixt Abijah and Jeroboam.

And when Abijah had begun battle, and had with him most chivalrous men, and four hundred thousand of chosen men, Jeroboam arrayed on the contrary the battle array with eight hundred thousand of men, and they were chosen men, and most strong men to battle. (And when Abijah began the battle, he had with him four hundred thousand most able, chosen men, and Jeroboam arrayed his battle array opposite him, with eight hundred thousand men, who were also very strong, and chosen for battle.)

And Abijah stood upon the hill Zemaraim (And Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim), that was in Ephraim, and he said, Hear thou, Jeroboam, and all Israel;

whether ye know not, that the Lord God of Israel gave to David the realm on Israel without end, to him and to his sons into the covenant of salt, that is, steadfast and stable? (do ye not know that the Lord God of Israel gave David the kingdom of Israel forevermore, yea, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?)

And now Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, hath risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

And most vain men, the sons of Belial, were gathered together to him, and they had might against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Certainly Rehoboam was boistous, either fond/or untaught, and of fearedful heart, and might not against-stand them (and could not stand against them).

Now therefore ye say, that ye be able to against-stand the realm of the Lord, that he holdeth in possession by the sons of David; and ye have a great multitude of people, and ye have golden calves, which Jeroboam made into gods to you. (And so now ye say, that ye be able to stand against the kingdom of the Lord, that he gave to the sons of David to have in possession; and ye have a great multitude of people, and ye have gold calves, which Jeroboam made to be your gods.)

And ye have cast away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the deacons, and ye have made priests to you, as all the peoples of (other) lands have priests; whoever cometh and halloweth his hand in a bull, in oxes, and in seven wethers, anon he is made priest of them that be not gods. (And ye have thrown away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and ye have made priests for yourselves, like all the peoples of other lands have; so that whoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bull, and with seven rams, he at once is made a priest of them that be not gods.)

10 But our Lord is God, whom we forsake not; and [the] priests of the sons of Aaron minister to the Lord, and (the) deacons be in their order; (But our Lord is God, whom we will not abandon; and the priests of the sons of Aaron serve the Lord, and the Levites assist them;)

11 and they offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord by each day in the morrowtide and eventide, and also incense made by commandments of the law; and loaves be set forth in a most clean board; and at us is the golden candlestick, and the lantern thereof, that it be tended ever at eventide; and we keep the behests of our God, whom ye have forsaken. (and they offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord each day in the morning and in the evening, and also burn the incense as commanded by the Law; and the loaves be set forth on a most clean table; and with us is the gold candlestick, and its lanterns, that they light every evening; for we follow the orders, or the commands, of our God, whom ye have deserted.)

12 Therefore God is duke in our host, and his priests, that trump and sound against you; do not ye, sons of Israel, fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for it speedeth not to you. (And so God is the leader of our army, and of his priests, who be ready to sound against you with trumpets; do not, ye Israelites, fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for it shall not profit you/for ye shall not prosper.)

13 While Abijah spake these things, Jeroboam made ready treasons behind (them); and when Jeroboam stood even against his enemies, he (en)compassed (them) with his host, Judah unwitting. (And while Abijah spoke all these things, Jeroboam prepared an attack behind them; and so while Jeroboam stood in front of his enemies, he was also behind them with his army, but Judah was unwitting, or unknowing.)

14 And Judah beheld, and he saw battle nigh even against before them, and behind their back; and he cried to the Lord, and [the] priests began to trump. (But then the men of Judah looked about, and they saw that the battle was to come from in front of them, and also from behind their backs; and they cried to the Lord, and the priests began to sound their trumpets.)

15 And all the men of Judah cried out, and, lo! while they cried on high, God made afeared Jeroboam and all Israel, that stood even against Judah and Abijah/which stood [over] against Judah and Abijah. (And all the men of Judah cried out, and, lo! while they cried on high, God made Jeroboam and all Israel afraid, who stood opposite, or in front of, Judah and Abijah.)

16 And the men of Israel fled from Judah, and God betook them into the hands of the men of Judah.

17 Therefore Abijah and his people smote them with a great wound, and there felled down of them five hundred thousand of strong men wounded. (And so Abijah and his people struck them down there with a great slaughter, and five hundred thousand strong men of them fell down slain.)

18 And the sons of Israel were made low in that time, and the sons of Judah were comforted full greatly, for they had hoped in the Lord God of their fathers. (And the Israelites were brought low at that time, and the sons of Judah prevailed, for they had hoped in the Lord God of their fathers.)

19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam fleeing, and took his cities, that is, Bethel and his villages, and Jeshanah with his villages, and Ephron and his villages; (And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took his cities, that is, Bethel, and its villages, and Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron, and all its villages;)

20 and Jeroboam might no more against-stand (Judah) in the days of Abijah, whom the Lord smote, and he was dead. (and Jeroboam never regained his power in the days of Abijah, and finally the Lord struck him down, and he died.)

21 Therefore Abijah, when his empire was comforted, took fourteen wives, and he begat two and twenty sons, and sixteen daughters. (And so Abijah, when his empire was strengthened, or confirmed, took fourteen wives, and he begat twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.)

22 The residue of [the] words of Abijah, and of his ways and his works, be written full diligently in the book of Iddo, the prophet. (And the rest of the deeds of Abijah, his ways and his works, be very diligently written down in The Book of Iddo, the prophet.)

Abijah King of Judah(A)

13 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah,[a](B) a daughter[b] of Uriel of Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah(C) and Jeroboam.(D) Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.

Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,(E) in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel,(F) listen to me! Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever(G) by a covenant of salt?(H) Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled(I) against his master. Some worthless scoundrels(J) gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive(K) and not strong enough to resist them.

“And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David’s descendants.(L) You are indeed a vast army and have with you(M) the golden calves(N) that Jeroboam made to be your gods. But didn’t you drive out the priests(O) of the Lord,(P) the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull(Q) and seven rams(R) may become a priest of what are not gods.(S)

10 “As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. 11 Every morning and evening(T) they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense(U) to the Lord. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table(V) and light the lamps(W) on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken him. 12 God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you.(X) People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord,(Y) the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”(Z)

13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush(AA) was behind them. 14 Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out(AB) to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel(AC) before Abijah and Judah. 16 The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered(AD) them into their hands. 17 Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men. 18 The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied(AE) on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. 20 Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died.

21 But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 The other events of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 13:2 Most Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 11:20 and 1 Kings 15:2); Hebrew Micaiah
  2. 2 Chronicles 13:2 Or granddaughter

13 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

He 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.

And 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 valour.

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;

Ought ye 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?

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:

11 And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread 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 ye have forsaken him.

12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.

14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 Then 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.

16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.

17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

18 Thus 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.

19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephraim with the towns thereof.

20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Lord struck him, and he died.

21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.