< 2 Chronicles 13 >

1 When Jeroboam had been ruling [Israel] for almost 18 years, Abijah became the king of Judah.
בִּשְׁנַ֛ת שְׁמֹונֶ֥ה עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָרָבְעָ֑ם וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ אֲבִיָּ֖ה עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃
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.
שָׁלֹ֣ושׁ שָׁנִ֗ים מָלַךְ֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמֹּ֔ו מִיכָיָ֥הוּ בַת־אוּרִיאֵ֖ל מִן־גִּבְעָ֑ה וּמִלְחָמָ֥ה הָיְתָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין אֲבִיָּ֖ה וּבֵ֥ין יָרָבְעָֽם׃
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.
וַיֶּאְסֹ֨ר אֲבִיָּ֜ה אֶת־הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה בְּחַ֙יִל֙ גִּבֹּורֵ֣י מִלְחָמָ֔ה אַרְבַּע־מֵאֹ֥ות אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ בָּח֑וּר ס וְיָרָבְעָ֗ם עָרַ֤ךְ עִמֹּו֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה בִּשְׁמֹונֶ֨ה מֵאֹ֥ות אֶ֛לֶף אִ֥ישׁ בָּח֖וּר גִּבֹּ֥ור חָֽיִל׃ ס
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!
וַיָּ֣קָם אֲבִיָּ֗ה מֵעַל֙ לְהַ֣ר צְמָרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר שְׁמָע֖וּנִי יָרָבְעָ֥ם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
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.
הֲלֹ֤א לָכֶם֙ לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֞י יְהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נָתַ֨ן מַמְלָכָ֧ה לְדָוִ֛יד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְעֹולָ֑ם לֹ֥ו וּלְבָנָ֖יו בְּרִ֥ית מֶֽלַח׃ ס
6 But Jeroboam, who was [only] an official of David’s son King Solomon, rebelled against his king.
וַיָּ֙קָם֙ יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֔ט עֶ֖בֶד שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּמְרֹ֖ד עַל־אֲדֹנָֽיו׃
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.
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ עָלָ֗יו אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵקִים֙ בְּנֵ֣י בְלִיַּ֔עַל וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ עַל־רְחַבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וּרְחַבְעָ֗ם הָ֤יָה נַ֙עַר֙ וְרַךְ־לֵבָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א הִתְחַזַּ֖ק לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹֽמְרִ֗ים לְהִתְחַזֵּק֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַמְלֶ֣כֶת יְהוָ֔ה בְּיַ֖ד בְּנֵ֣י דָוִ֑יד וְאַתֶּם֙ הָמֹ֣ון רָ֔ב וְעִמָּכֶם֙ עֶגְלֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם יָרָבְעָ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
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.
הֲלֹ֤א הִדַּחְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כֹּהֲנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֑ם וַתַּעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֤ם כֹּהֲנִים֙ כְּעַמֵּ֣י הָאֲרָצֹ֔ות כָּל־הַבָּ֗א לְמַלֵּ֨א יָדֹ֜ו בְּפַ֤ר בֶּן־בָּקָר֙ וְאֵילִ֣ם שִׁבְעָ֔ה וְהָיָ֥ה כֹהֵ֖ן לְלֹ֥א אֱלֹהִֽים׃ ס
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.
וַאֲנַ֛חְנוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א עֲזַבְנֻ֑הוּ וְכֹ֨הֲנִ֜ים מְשָׁרְתִ֤ים לַֽיהוָה֙ בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם בַּמְלָֽאכֶת׃
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.
וּמַקְטִרִ֣ים לַיהוָ֡ה עֹלֹ֣ות בַּבֹּֽקֶר־בַּבֹּ֣קֶר וּבָעֶֽרֶב־בָּעֶ֣רֶב וּקְטֹֽרֶת־סַמִּים֩ וּמַעֲרֶ֨כֶת לֶ֜חֶם עַל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֣ן הַטָּהֹ֗ור וּמְנֹורַ֨ת הַזָּהָ֤ב וְנֵרֹתֶ֙יהָ֙ לְבָעֵר֙ בָּעֶ֣רֶב בָּעֶ֔רֶב כִּֽי־שֹׁמְרִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וְאַתֶּ֖ם עֲזַבְתֶּ֥ם אֹתֹֽו׃
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.”
וְהִנֵּה֩ עִמָּ֨נוּ בָרֹ֜אשׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ וְכֹהֲנָ֛יו וַחֲצֹצְרֹ֥ות הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה לְהָרִ֣יעַ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַל־תִּלָּֽחֲמ֛וּ עִם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם כִּי־לֹ֥א תַצְלִֽיחוּ׃
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.
וְיָֽרָבְעָ֗ם הֵסֵב֙ אֶת־הַמַּאְרָ֔ב לָבֹ֖וא מֵֽאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהַמַּאְרָ֖ב מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
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,
וַיִּפְנ֣וּ יְהוּדָ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה לָהֶ֤ם הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ פָּנִ֣ים וְאָחֹ֔ור וַֽיִּצְעֲק֖וּ לַיהוָ֑ה וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים מַחֲצֹצְִרים (מַחְצְרִ֖ים) בַּחֲצֹצְרֹֽות׃
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.
וַיָּרִ֖יעוּ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּהָרִ֙יעַ֙ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֗ים נָגַ֤ף אֶת־יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִפְנֵ֥י אֲבִיָּ֖ה וִיהוּדָֽה׃
16 The soldiers of Israel fled from the soldiers of Judah, and God enabled the army of Judah to defeat them.
וַיָּנ֥וּסוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדָֽם׃
17 Abijah and his troops struck the capable soldiers of Israel and killed 500,000 of them.
וַיַּכּ֥וּ בָהֶ֛ם אֲבִיָּ֥ה וְעַמֹּ֖ו מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֑ה וַיִּפְּל֤וּ חֲלָלִים֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חֲמֵשׁ־מֵאֹ֥ות אֶ֖לֶף אִ֥ישׁ בָּחֽוּר׃
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.
וַיִּכָּנְע֥וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא וַיֶּֽאֶמְצוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כִּ֣י נִשְׁעֲנ֔וּ עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹותֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
וַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף אֲבִיָּה֮ אַחֲרֵ֣י יָרָבְעָם֒ וַיִּלְכֹּ֤ד מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עָרִ֔ים אֶת־בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־יְשָׁנָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֶ֑יהָ וְאֶת־עֶפְרֹון (עֶפְרַ֖יִן) וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃
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.
וְלֹֽא־עָצַ֧ר כֹּֽחַ־יָרָבְעָ֛ם עֹ֖וד בִּימֵ֣י אֲבִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּגְּפֵ֥הוּ יְהוָ֖ה וַיָּמֹֽת׃ פ
21 But Abijah became more powerful. He married 14 wives and had 22 sons and 16 daughters.
וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֣ק אֲבִיָּ֔הוּ וַיִּ֨שָּׂא־לֹ֔ו נָשִׁ֖ים אַרְבַּ֣ע עֶשְׂרֵ֑ה וַיֹּ֗ולֶד עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ בָּנִ֔ים וְשֵׁ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה בָּנֹֽות׃ ס
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.
וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י אֲבִיָּ֔ה וּדְרָכָ֖יו וּדְבָרָ֑יו כְּתוּבִ֕ים בְּמִדְרַ֖שׁ הַנָּבִ֥יא עִדֹּֽו׃

< 2 Chronicles 13 >