2 Chronicles 13

1 Abijah became king of Judah in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam.

In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

2 He reigned in Jerusalem for three years. His mother's name was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel—she was from Gibeah. Abijah and Jeroboam were at war.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 Abijah went out to fight with an army of 400,000 brave warriors, while Jeroboam opposed him with his army of 800,000 chosen warriors of great strength.

And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men. And Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men who were mighty men of valor.

4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all of Israel!

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel.

5 Don't you understand that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a binding agreement?

Should ye not know that Jehovah, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

6 Yet Jeroboam, son of Nebat, just a servant of Solomon, son of David, had the audacity to rebel against his master.

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

7 Then some good-for-nothing evil men gathered round him and defied Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when he was young and inexperienced, and couldn't confront them.

And there were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

8 Now do you really think you can oppose the kingdom of the Lord, held by David's descendants? You may be a large horde, and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

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

9 But didn't you drive out the priests of the Lord, Aaron's descendants, and the Levites, and make priests for yourselves just like people in other nations do? Now anyone who wants to can come and dedicate himself, sacrificing a young bull and seven rams, and he can become a priest of things that really are not gods.

Have ye not driven out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for you after the manner of the peoples of other lands? So that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

10 But for us, the Lord is our God! We have not abandoned him. We have priests serving the Lord who are descendants of Aaron, and we have Levites who help them in their ministry.

But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And we have priests ministering to Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work.

11 Morning and evening they present burnt offerings and burn fragrant incense to the Lord. They place the rows of showbread on the purified table, and light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are doing what the Lord our God told us to do, while you have abandoned him.

And they burn to Jehovah every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. Also they set the showbread in order upon the pure table, and the lampstand of gold with the lamps of it to burn every evening. For we keep the charge of Jehovah our God, but ye have forsaken him.

12 God is leading us! His priests blow their trumpets to go into battle against you. People of Israel, don't fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you won't win!”

And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O sons of Israel, fight ye not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers. For ye shall not prosper.

13 But Jeroboam had sent troops around to attack from the rear, so that while he and the main force was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.

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

14 Judah turned around and realized that they were having to fight front and rear. They cried out to the Lord for help. Then the priests blew their trumpets,

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them. And they cried to Jehovah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 and the men of Judah gave a loud shout. When they shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel in front of Abijah and Judah.

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 The Israelites ran away from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah, defeated.

And the sons of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.

17 Abijah and his men hit them hard, and 500,000 of Israel's best warriors were killed.

And Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter. So there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

18 So the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their forefathers.

Thus the sons of Israel were brought under at that time, and the sons of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers.

19 Abijah chased Jeroboam and captured some towns from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages.

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns of it, and Jeshanah with the towns of it, and Ephron with the towns of it.

20 Jereboam never regained his power during Abijah's reign. Eventually the Lord struck him down and he died.

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah. And Jehovah smote him, and he died.

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

But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 The rest of what Abijah did—what he said and what he accomplished—is recorded in the history written by Iddo the Prophet.

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