2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah reigns over Judah;

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

2 he has reigned three years in Jerusalem (and the name of his mother [is] Michaiah daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah), and there has been war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

He ruled for three years in Jerusalem; his mother's name was Macaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abijah directs the war with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, and Jeroboam has set in array [for] battle with him, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valor.

Abijah went into battle with an army of strong, courageous soldiers, 400,000 chosen men. Jeroboam placed battle lines against him with 800,000 chosen men, strong, courageous soldiers.

4 And Abijah rises up on the hill of Zemaraim that [is] in the hill-country of Ephraim, and says, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!

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

5 Is it not for you to know that YHWH, God of Israel, has given the kingdom over Israel to David for all time, to him and to his sons—a covenant of salt?

Do you not know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons by a formal covenant?

6 And Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, rises up and rebels against his lord!

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

7 And vain men are gathered to him, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and has not strengthened himself against them.

Worthless men, base fellows, gathered to him. They came against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and inexperienced and could not withstand them.

8 And now you are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of YHWH in the hand of the sons of David, and you [are] a numerous multitude, and calves of gold [are] with you that Jeroboam has made for you for gods.

So now you plan to resist the kingdom of Yahweh that is held within the hand of the descendants of David, because you are a large army, and you have the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.

9 Have you not cast out the priests of YHWH, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests for yourselves like the peoples of the lands? Everyone who has come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he has been a priest for [those which are] not gods!

But did you not drive out the priests of Yahweh, the descendants of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own in the same way as the people of other lands do? Whoever comes to serve as a priest, sacrificing a young bullock and seven rams, he becomes a priest of what are not gods.

10 As for us, YHWH [is] our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to YHWH, sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,

But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests, descendants of Aaron, serving Yahweh, and the Levites, who are at their work.

11 and are making incense to YHWH, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and incense of spices, and the arrangement of bread [is] on the pure table, and the lampstand of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of our God YHWH, and you have forsaken Him.

Every morning and evening they burn for Yahweh burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also arrange the bread of the presence on the pure table; they also tend the lampstand of gold with its lamps, for them to burn every evening. We keep the commandments of Yahweh, our God, but you have forsaken him.

12 And behold, with us—at [our] head—[is] God, and His priests and trumpets of shouting to shout against you; O sons of Israel, do not fight with YHWH, God of your fathers, for you do not prosper.”

See, God is with us at our head, and his priests are here with the trumpets to sound an alarm against you. People of Israel, do not fight against Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”

13 And Jeroboam has brought around the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and the ambush [is] behind them.

But Jeroboam prepared an ambush behind them; his army was in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

14 And Judah turns, and behold, the battle [is] against them, before and behind, and they cry to YHWH, and the priests are blowing with trumpets,

When Judah looked back, behold, the fighting was both in front of them and behind them. They cried out to Yahweh, and the priests blew the trumpets.

15 and the men of Judah shout; and it comes to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God has struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout; as they shouted, it came about that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 And the sons of Israel flee from the face of Judah, and God gives them into their hand,

The people of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into the hand of Judah.

17 and Abijah and his people strike among them a great striking, and five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fall wounded.

Abijah and his army killed them with great slaughter; 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell dead.

18 And the sons of Israel are humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah are strong, for they have leaned on YHWH, God of their fathers.

In this way, the people of Israel were subdued at that time; the people of Judah won because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.

19 And Abijah pursues after Jeroboam and captures cities from him: Beth-El and its small towns, and Jeshanah and its small towns, and Ephraim and its small towns.

Abijah pursued Jeroboam; he took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.

20 And Jeroboam has not retained power anymore in the days of Abijah, and YHWH strikes him, and he dies.

Jeroboam never recovered power again during the days of Abijah; Yahweh struck him, and he died.

21 And Abijah strengthens himself, and takes fourteen wives for himself, and begets twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters;

But Abijah became powerful; he took fourteen wives for himself and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 and the rest of the matters of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

The rest of Abijah's deeds, his behavior, and words are written in the history of the prophet Iddo.