2 Chronicles 13

1 When Jeroboam had been ruling [Israel] for almost 18 years, Abijah became the king of Judah.

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam Abia began to reign over Juda.

2 He ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Micaiah (OR, Maacah), the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah [town]. There was a war between [the armies of] Abijah and Jeroboam.

He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maacha, daughter of Uriel of Gabaon. And there was war between Abia and Jeroboam.

3 Abijah went into the battle, taking 400,000 of his capable soldiers, and Jeroboam prepared to fight them, taking 800,000 of his capable troops.

And Abia set the battle in array with an army, with mighty men of war, [even] four hundred thousand mighty men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand, [they were] mighty warriors of the host.

4 Abijah stood on the top of Zemaraim Mountain, which is in the hilly area that belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, and he shouted, “Jeroboam and all you other people of Israel, listen to me!

And Abia rose up from the mount Somoron, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear ye, Jeroboam, and all Israel:

5 You should know that Yahweh, the God to whom all we Israelis belong, has appointed David and his descendants to be the kings of Israel forever. He has confirmed that by making a permanent agreement.

[Is it] not for you to know that the Lord God of Israel has given a king over Israel for ever to David, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

6 But Jeroboam, who was [only] an official of David’s son King Solomon, rebelled against his king.

But Jeroboam the [son] of Nabat, the servant of Solomon [the son] of David, is risen up, and has revolted from his master:

7 And when Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king and was still young and inexperienced, a group of worthless scoundrels gathered around you, Jeroboam, and rebelled against Rehoboam.

and there are gathered to him pestilent men, transgressors, and he has risen up against Roboam the [son] of Solomon, while Roboam was young and fearful in heart, and he withstood him not.

8 “And now you are planning to fight against the kingdom that Yahweh established to be governed by David’s descendants. It is true that you have a huge army, and you and your soldiers have brought with you the golden [statues of] calves that Jeroboam’s workers made to be gods for all of you.

And now ye profess to resist 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 Jeroboam made you for gods.

9 But you expelled the priests that Yahweh [appointed], men who are descendants of Aaron [the first Supreme Priest], and you expelled the descendants of Levi, and you appointed the priests that you wanted, like the people of other countries do. You allow anyone to become a priest of idols that are not gods if he comes to dedicate himself to be a priest by sacrificing a young bull and seven rams.

Did ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to yourselves priests of the people of any [other] land? whoever came to consecrate himself with a calf of the heard and seven rams, he forthwith became a priest to that which is no god.

10 “As for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Our priests who serve Yahweh are descendants of Aaron, and the descendants of Levi assist them.

But we have not forsaken the Lord our God, and his priests, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, minister to the Lord; and in their daily courses

11 Every morning and every evening they present to Yahweh offerings to be completely burned [on the altar], and they burn fragrant incense. [Each week] they place the sacred bread on the sacred table, and each morning they light the lamps that are on the gold lampstand. We are obeying what Yahweh our God requires us to do. But you have abandoned him.

they sacrifice to the Lord whole-burnt-offering, morning and evening, and compound incense, and [set] the shewbread on the pure table; and [there is] the golden candlestick, and the lamps for burning, to light in the evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord God of our fathers; but ye have forsaken him.

12 Yahweh is with us; he is our leader. The priests whom he has appointed will blow their trumpets to signal [that we are ready] to fight a battle against you. You Israeli men, do not fight against Yahweh, the God to whom your ancestors belonged, because you will not be successful and win the battle against him.”

And, behold, the Lord and his priests are with us at our head, and the signal trumpets to sound an alarm over us. Children of Israel, fight not against the Lord God of our fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13 [While he was speaking, ] Jeroboam sent some of his troops around the army of Judah. So while the soldiers who were with Jeroboam were in front of the army of Judah, the other soldiers of Israel were behind the army of Judah.

Now Jeroboam had caused an ambush to come round upon him from behind: and he [himself] was before Juda, and the ambush behind.

14 When the soldiers of Judah turned and saw that they were going to be attacked from the front and from the rear, they cried out to Yahweh. The priests blew their trumpets,

And Juda looked back, and, behold, the battle [was] against them before and behind: and they cried to the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 and the men of Judah shouted a loud battle-cry. Then Yahweh [enabled Abijah and the army of Judah to] defeat Jeroboam and [the army of] Israel.

And the men of Juda shouted: and it came to pass, when the men of Juda shouted, that the Lord smote Jeroboam and Israel before Abia and Juda.

16 The soldiers of Israel fled from the soldiers of Judah, and God enabled the army of Judah to defeat them.

And the children of Israel fled from before Juda; and the Lord delivered them into their hands.

17 Abijah and his troops struck the capable soldiers of Israel and killed 500,000 of them.

And Abia and his people smote them with a great slaughter: and there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand mighty men.

18 So the soldiers of Israel were defeated, and the soldiers of Judah won the battle because they trusted in Yahweh, the God to whom their ancestors belonged.

So the children of Israel were brought low in that day, and the children of Juda prevailed, because they trusted on the Lord God of their fathers.

19 Abijah’s army pursued the army of Jeroboam, and they captured from the people of Israel the cities of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the surrounding villages.

And Abia pursued after Jeroboam, and he took from him the cities, Baethel and her towns, and Jesyna and her towns, and Ephron and her towns.

20 During the remaining time that Abijah ruled, Jeroboam did not become powerful again. Then Yahweh caused him to become very ill, and he died.

And Jeroboam did not recover strength again all the days of Abia: and the Lord smote him, and he died.

21 But Abijah became more powerful. He married 14 wives and had 22 sons and 16 daughters.

But Abia strengthened himself, and took to himself fourteen wives, and he begot twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 An account of the other things that Abijah did while he was the king, including what he said and what he did, is in the scroll written by the prophet Iddo.

And the rest of the acts of Abia, and his deeds, and his sayings, are written in the book of the prophet Addo.