Chronicles II 13

1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam Abia began to reign over Juda.

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maacha, daughter of Uriel of Gabaon. And there was war between Abia and Jeroboam.

He was king in Jerusalem for three years; his mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abia set the battle in array with an army, with mighty men of war, [even] four hundred thousand mighty men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand, [they were] mighty warriors of the host.

And Abijah went out to the fight with an army of men of war, four hundred thousand of his best men; and Jeroboam put his forces in line against him, eight hundred thousand of his best men of war.

4 And Abia rose up from the mount Somoron, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear you, Jeroboam, and all Israel:

And Abijah took up his position on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Give ear to me, O Jeroboam and all Israel:

5 [Is it] not for you to know that the Lord God of Israel has given a king over Israel for ever to David, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

Is it not clear to you that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel to David and to his sons for ever, by an agreement made with salt?

6 But Jeroboam the [son] of Nabat, the servant of Solomon [the son] of David, is risen up, and has revolted from his master:

But Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, took up arms against his lord.

7 and there are gathered to him pestilent men, transgressors, and he has risen up against Roboam the [son] of Solomon, while Roboam was young and fearful in heart, and he withstood him not.

And certain foolish and good-for-nothing men were joined with him, and made themselves strong against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and untested and not able to keep them back.

8 And now you profess to resist the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and you [are] a great multitude, and with you are golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

And now it is your purpose to put yourselves against the authority which the Lord has put into the hands of the sons of David, and you are a very great number, and you have with you the gold oxen which Jeroboam made to be your gods.

9 Did you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to yourselves priests of the people of any [other] land? whoever came to consecrate himself with a calf of the heard and seven rams, he forthwith became a priest to that which is no god.

And after driving out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, have you not made priests for yourselves as the people of other lands do? so that anyone who comes to make himself priest by offering an ox or seven sheep, may be a priest of those who are no gods.

10 But we have not forsaken the Lord our God, and his priests, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, minister to the Lord; and in their daily courses

But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not been turned away from him; we have priests who do the work of the Lord, even the sons of Aaron and the Levites in their places;

11 they sacrifice to the Lord whole burnt offering, morning and evening, and compound incense, and [set] the show bread on the pure table; and [there is] the golden candlestick, and the lamps for burning, to light in the evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord God of our fathers; but you have forsaken him.

By whom burned offerings and perfumes are sent up in smoke before the Lord every morning and every evening; and they put out the holy bread on its table and the gold support for the lights with its lights burning every evening; for we keep the orders given to us by the Lord our God, but you have gone away from him.

12 And, behold, the Lord and his priests are with us at our head, and the signal trumpets to sound an alarm over us. Children of Israel, fight not against the Lord God of our fathers; for you shall not prosper.

And now God is with us at our head, and his priests with their loud horns sounding against you. O children of Israel, do not make war on the Lord, the God of your fathers, for it will not go well for you.

13 Now Jeroboam had caused an ambush to come round upon him from behind: and he [himself] was before Juda, and the ambush behind.

But Jeroboam had put some of his men to make a surprise attack on them from the back, so some were facing Judah and others were stationed secretly at their back.

14 And Juda looked back, and, behold, the battle [was] against them before and behind: and they cried to the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

And Judah, turning their faces, saw that they were being attacked in front and at the back; and they gave a cry for help to the Lord, while the priests were sounding their horns.

15 And the men of Juda shouted: and it came to pass, when the men of Juda shouted, that the Lord struck Jeroboam and Israel before Abia and Juda.

And the men of Judah gave a loud cry; and at their cry, God put fear into Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 And the children of Israel fled from before Juda; and the Lord delivered them into their hands.

And the children of Israel went in flight before Judah, and God gave them up into their hands.

17 And Abia and his people struck them with a great slaughter: and there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand mighty men.

And Abijah and his people put them to death with great destruction: five hundred thousand of the best of Israel were put to the sword.

18 So the children of Israel were brought low in that day, and the children of Juda prevailed, because they trusted on the Lord God of their fathers.

So at that time the children of Israel were overcome, and the children of Judah got the better of them, because they put their faith in the Lord, the God of their fathers.

19 And Abia pursued after Jeroboam, and he took from him the cities, Baethel and her towns, and Jesyna and her towns, and Ephron and her towns.

And Abijah went after Jeroboam and took some of his towns, Beth-el with its small towns and Jeshanah with its small towns and Ephron with its small towns.

20 And Jeroboam did not recover strength again all the days of Abia: and the Lord struck him, and he died.

And Jeroboam did not get back his power again in the life-time of Abijah; and the Lord sent death on him.

21 But Abia strengthened himself, and took to himself fourteen wives, and he begot twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

But Abijah became great, and had fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abia, and his deeds, and his sayings, are written in the book of the prophet Addo.

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his sayings, are recorded in the account of the prophet Iddo.