2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eighteenth year of king Jerobo'am became Abiyah king over Judah.

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

2 Three years he reigned in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Michayahu the daughter of Uriel of Gib'ah. And there was war between Abiyah and Jerobo'am.

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 And Abiyah joined the battle with an army of valiant men of war, even of four hundred thousand chosen men: Jerobo'am also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor.

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 And Abiyah stood up above mount Zemarayim, which is in the mountain of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jerobo'am, and all Israel;

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which [is] in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;

5 Ought ye not to know that the Lord the God of Israel hath given the kingdom over Israel to David for eternity, yea, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salts?

Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

6 But there rose up Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, and rebelled against his lord.

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

7 And there were gathered unto him idle men, worthless persons, and put themselves in violent resistance against Rehobo'am the son of Solomon: while Rehobo'am was young and tender hearted, and could not sustain himself before 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 And now ye think to sustain yourselves before the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude; and with you are golden calves, which Jerobo'am hath made for you as gods.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD 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 gods.

9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made yourselves priests like the people of the [various] lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams can become a priest to things that are no gods?

Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, 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 gods.

10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, who minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron; and the Levites are at their [appointed] work;

But as for us, the LORD [is] our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, [are] the sons of Aaron, and the Levites [wait] upon [their] business:

11 And they burn unto the Lord burnt-offerings every morning and every evening and incense of sweet spices; and the rows of the show-bread [do they place] upon the pure table; and there is the candlestick of gold with its lamps, to light the same every evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God, while ye have truly forsaken him.

And they burn unto the LORD 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 the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.

12 And, behold, with us at our head, is the [true] God, with his priests with trumpets for blowing the alarm, to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord the God of your fathers; for ye will not prosper.

And, behold, God 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 the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13 But Jerobo'am caused an ambush to come around behind them: so they themselves were before Judah, and 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 And when Judah turned round, behold, they had the battle before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests blew with the trumpets.

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle [was] before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 And then gave the men of Judah a shout: and it came to pass, as the men of Judah shouted, that God struck down Jerobo'am and all Israel before Abiyah 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 And the children of Israel fled from before Judah, and God gave them up into their hand.

And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.

17 And Abiyah and his people smote them with a great defeat, and there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

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

18 Thus were the children of Israel humbled at that time: and the children of Judah became powerful, because they relied upon the Lord the God of their fathers.

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

19 And Abiyah made pursuit after Jerobo'am, and captured cities from him, Bethel with its villages, and Jeshanah with its villages, and 'Ephrayin with its villages.

And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

20 And Jerobo'am did not recover strength again in the days of Abiyahu: and the Lord struck him, and he died.

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.

21 But Abiyahu became strong, and he took himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abiyah, and his ways, and his speeches, are written in the writing of the prophet 'Iddo.

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