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 King Jeroboam, began Abijah to reign over Judah:

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.

three years, reigned he in Jerusalem, and, the name of his mother, was Maacah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah, —and there was, war, between Abijah 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 Abijah began the war with a force of heroes of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, —and, Jeroboam, set in array against him to battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, heroes of valour.

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 Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, —and said, Hear me, O 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 yours to know, that, Yahweh God of Israel gave the kingdom to David, over Israel, unto times age-abiding, —to him 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.

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

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 unto him vain men, sons of the Abandoned One, who emboldened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, -when, Rehoboam, was young and tender of heart, and had not strengthened himself to meet them.

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.

Now, therefore, ye, are thinking to strengthen yourselves against the kingdom of Yahweh, in the hand of the sons of David, —and, ye, are a great multitude, and, with you, are calves of gold, which Jeroboam hath 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.

Have ye not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, —and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of the countries? Whosoever cometh to install himself with a young bullock, and seven rams, then becometh he a priest unto the, no-gods.

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, as for us, Yahweh, is our God, and we have not forsaken him, —and, the priests who are waiting upon Yahweh, are sons of Aaron, with Levites in the work;

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.

and they are making a perfume unto Yahweh, with ascending-sacrifices morning by morning, and evening by evening and an incense of sweet spices, and are putting in order bread upon the pure table, and the lampstand of gold with the lamps thereof, for lighting up evening by evening, for, observant, are we of the charge of Yahweh our God, —whereas, 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 lo! with us as Head, is God himself, and his priests, and the trumpets of alarm, to sound an alarm against you, —O sons of Israel! do not fight against Yahweh God of your 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.

But, Jeroboam, sent round an ambush, to come up from behind them, —so they were before Judah and, the ambush, did come up from behind them.

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, when Judah turned and lo! as for them, the battle was before and behind, then made they outcry unto Yahweh, —and, the priests, kept on blowing 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.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout, —and it came to pass, when the men of Judah shouted, then, God himself, smote Jeroboam and all Israel, before Abijah and Judah.

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

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

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

And Abijah and his people smote among them with a great smiting, —and there fell down slain, of Israel, five hundred thousand chosen 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.

Thus were the sons of Israel subdued at that time, —and the sons of Judah prevailed, because they leaned upon Yahweh the 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 Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and captured from him, cities, even Bethel, with the villages thereof, and Jeshanah, with the villages thereof, —and Ephron, with the villages thereof;

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.

neither was Jeroboam strong any more, in the days of Abijah, —and Yahweh smote him that he died.

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

And Abijah strengthened himself, and took him, fourteen wives, —and begat 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 story of Abijah, both his ways and his words, —are written, in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.