2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eyghteenth yeere of King Ieroboam began Abiiah to reigne ouer Iudah.

In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king of Judah,

2 He reigned three yere in Ierusalem: (his mothers name also was Michaiah the daughter of Vriel of Gibea) and there was warre betweene Abiiah and Ieroboam.

and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abiiah set the battel in aray with the armie of valiant men of warre, euen foure hundreth thousand chosen men. Ieroboam also set the battell in aray against him with eight hundreth thousande chosen men which were strong and valiant.

Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.

4 And Abiiah stood vp vpon mount Zemeraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and sayde, O Ieroboam, and all Israel, heare you me,

Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

5 Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel hath giuen the kingdome ouer Israel to Dauid for euer, euen to him and to his sonnes by a couenant of salt?

Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

6 And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat the seruant of Salomon the sonne of Dauid is risen vp, and hath rebelled against his lord:

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

7 And there are gathered to him vayne men and wicked, and made themselues strong against Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon: for Rehoboam was but a childe and tender hearted, and coulde not resist them.

Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

8 Now therefore ye thinke that yee be able to resist against the kingdome of the Lord, which is in the handes of the sonnes of Dauid, and ye bee a great multitude, and the golden calues are with you which Ieroboam made you for gods.

And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

9 Haue ye not driuen away the Priestes of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron and the Leuites, and haue made you Priests like the people of other countreis? whosoeuer commeth to consecrate with a yong bullocke and seuen rams, the same may be a Priest of them that are no gods.

But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods.

10 But wee belong vnto the Lord our God, and haue not forsaken him, and the Priestes the sonnes of Aaron minister vnto the Lord, and the Leuites in their office.

But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

11 And they burne vnto the Lord euery morning and euery euening burnt offerings and sweete incense, and the breade is set in order vpon the pure table, and the candlesticke of golde with the lampes thereof, to burne euery euening: for we keepe the watch of the Lord our God: but ye haue forsaken him.

Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.

12 And behold, this God is with vs, as a captaine, and his Priests with the sounding trumpets, to crie an alarme against you. O yee children of Israel, fight not against the Lord God of your fathers: for ye shall not prosper.

Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

13 But Ieroboam caused an ambushment to compasse, and come behind them, when they were before Iudah, and the ambushment behinde them.

Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.

14 Then Iudah looked, and beholde, the battel was before and behinde them, and they cried vnto the Lord, and the Priests blewe with the trumpets,

When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

15 And the men of Iudah gaue a shoute: and euen as the men of Iudah shouted, God smote Ieroboam and also Israel before Abiiah and Iudah.

and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 And the children of Israel fledde before Iudah, and God deliuered them into their hande.

So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

17 And Abiiah and his people slewe a great slaughter of them, so that there fel downe wounded of Israel fiue hundreth thousand chosen men.

Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

18 So the children of Israel were brought vnder at that time: and the children of Iudah preuailed, because they stayed vpon the Lord God of their fathers.

Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.

19 And Abiiah pursued after Ieroboam, and tooke cities from him, euen Beth-el, and the villages thereof, and Ieshanah with her villages, and Ephron with her villages.

Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages.

20 And Ieroboam recouered no strength againe in the dayes of Abiiah, but the Lord plagued him, and he dyed.

Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down and he died.

21 So Abiiah waxed mightie, and marryed foureteene wiues, and begate two and twentie sonnes, and sixteene daughters.

But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 The rest of the actes of Abiiah and his maners and his sayings are written in the storie of the Prophet Iddo.

Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, along with his ways and his words, are written in the Treatise of the Prophet Iddo.