2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam — Abijah reigneth over Judah;

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

2 three years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, (and the name of his mother [is] Michaiah daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah, ) and war hath been 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 directeth the war with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, and Jeroboam hath set in array with him battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty of valour.

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 riseth up on the hill of Zemaraim that [is] in the hill-country of Ephraim, and saith, '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 Jehovah, God of Israel, hath given the kingdom to David over Israel to the age, 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 rise up doth Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, and rebelleth against his lord!

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

7 'And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of worthlessness, and they strengthen themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was a youth, and tender of heart, and hath 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, ye are saying to strengthen yourselves before the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David, and ye [are] a numerous multitude, and with you calves of gold that Jeroboam hath made to 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 ye not cast out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to you priests like the peoples of the lands? every one who hath come to fill his hand with a bullock, a son of the herd, and seven rams, even he hath been a priest to No-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, Jehovah [is] our God, and we have not forsaken Him, and priests are ministering to Jehovah, 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 perfume to Jehovah, burnt-offerings morning by morning, and evening by evening, and perfume of spices, and the arrangement of bread [is] on the pure table, and the candlestick of gold, and its lamps, to burn evening by evening, for we are keeping the charge of Jehovah our God, and ye — ye 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 lo, 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 Jehovah, God of your fathers, for ye 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 hath brought round 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 turneth, and lo, against them [is] the battle, before and behind, and they cry to Jehovah, 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 cometh to pass, at the shouting of the men of Judah, that God hath smitten 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 giveth 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 smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

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 leant on Jehovah, 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 pursueth after Jeroboam, and captureth from him cities, 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 hath not retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he dieth.

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

21 And Abijah strengtheneth himself, and taketh to him fourteen wives, and begetteth twenty and 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 'Inquiry' of the prophet Iddo.

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