2 Chronicles 13

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

In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah reigned over 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.

He reigned for three years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel, 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.

And when Abijah had undertaken the conflict, and he had with him four hundred thousand elect men, very fit for war, Jeroboam set up a battle line opposite him of eight hundred thousand men, who were also elect and very strong in warfare.

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 upon mount Zemaraim, which was in Ephraim, and he said: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all of 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?

Are you ignorant that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave David the kingship over Israel for all time, to him and to his sons, 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:

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

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.

And there were gathered to him very vain men, and sons of Belial. And they prevailed against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. For Rehoboam was inexperienced, and he had a fearful heart, and so he was 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.

Now therefore, you say that you are able to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which he possesses through the sons of David, and you have a great multitude of people, and gold calves, which 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.

And you have cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, as well as the Levites. And like all the peoples of the lands, you have made priests for yourselves. Anyone who is willing to come and perform the ritual by his hand, with a bull from the herd and with seven rams, is made a priest of those who 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 the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And the priests who minister to the Lord are from the sons of Aaron. And the Levites are in their proper order.

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.

Also, they offer holocausts to the Lord, each and every day, morning and evening, and incense composed according to the precept of the law, and the bread of the presence on a very pure table. And there is with us the gold lampstand with its lamps, so that they may burn continually in the evening. For certainly, we keep the precepts of the Lord our God, whom you have forsaken.

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.

Therefore, God is the commander of our army, with his priests, who sound the trumpets that ring out against you. O sons of Israel, do not choose to fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers. For it is not expedient for you.”

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

While he was speaking these things, Jeroboam set in motion an ambush behind them. And while they stood facing the enemy, without Judah realizing it, his army circled around.

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,

And looking back, Judah saw the war threatening in front and behind, and they cried out to the Lord. And the priests began to sound 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 all the men of Judah shouted out. And behold, when they cried out, God terrified Jeroboam, and all of Israel who were standing in opposition to Abijah and Judah.

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

And the sons of Israel fled from Judah, and the Lord delivered them into their hand.

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.

Therefore, Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter. And five hundred thousand strong men of Israel fell wounded.

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.

And the sons of Israel were humiliated at that time. And the sons of Judah were very greatly strengthened, because they had trusted in 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.

Then Abijah pursued the fleeing Jeroboam. And he seized cities from him: Bethel and her daughters, and Jeshanah with her daughters, and also Ephron and her daughters.

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

And Jeroboam no longer had the strength to resist, in the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him, and he died.

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

And so Abijah, having been strengthened in his authority, took fourteen wives. And he procreated 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 words of Abijah, and his ways and works, have been written very diligently in the book of Iddo, the prophet.