2 Chronicles 13

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

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah 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. His mother's name also was Michaiah 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 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.

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 mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou 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?

Ought ye not to know that YHWH Elohim of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, 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, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his master.

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 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.

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 YHWH in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for elohim.

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 cast out the priests of YHWH, 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 elohim.

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, YHWH is our Elohim, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto YHWH, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:

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 unto YHWH 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 YHWH our Elohim; 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, Elohim 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 YHWH Elohim 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 about 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: and they cried unto YHWH, 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 Elohim 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 children of Israel fled before Judah: and Elohim 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 slew 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 children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon YHWH Elohim 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 thereof, and Jeshnah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

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 YHWH struck 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 waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and 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 story of the prophet Iddo.