2 דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים 13

1 בִּשְׁנַ֛ת שְׁמֹונֶ֥ה עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָרָבְעָ֑ם וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ אֲבִיָּ֖ה עַל־יְהוּדָֽה׃

Abijah became king of Judah in the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam.

2 שָׁלֹ֣ושׁ שָׁנִ֗ים מָלַךְ֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמֹּ֔ו מִיכָיָ֥הוּ בַת־אוּרִיאֵ֖ל מִן־גִּבְעָ֑ה וּמִלְחָמָ֥ה הָיְתָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין אֲבִיָּ֖ה וּבֵ֥ין יָרָבְעָֽם׃

He reigned in Jerusalem for three years. His mother's name was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel—she was from Gibeah. Abijah and Jeroboam were at war.

3 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

Abijah went out to fight with an army of 400,000 brave warriors, while Jeroboam opposed him with his army of 800,000 chosen warriors of great strength.

4 וַיָּ֣קָם אֲבִיָּ֗ה מֵעַל֙ לְהַ֣ר צְמָרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר שְׁמָע֖וּנִי יָרָבְעָ֥ם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

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

5 הֲלֹ֤א לָכֶם֙ לָדַ֔עַת כִּ֞י יְהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל נָתַ֨ן מַמְלָכָ֧ה לְדָוִ֛יד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְעֹולָ֑ם לֹ֥ו וּלְבָנָ֖יו בְּרִ֥ית מֶֽלַח׃ ס

Don't you understand that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a binding agreement?

6 וַיָּ֙קָם֙ יָרָבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־נְבָ֔ט עֶ֖בֶד שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בֶן־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּמְרֹ֖ד עַל־אֲדֹנָֽיו׃

Yet Jeroboam, son of Nebat, just a servant of Solomon, son of David, had the audacity to rebel against his master.

7 וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ עָלָ֗יו אֲנָשִׁ֤ים רֵקִים֙ בְּנֵ֣י בְלִיַּ֔עַל וַיִּֽתְאַמְּצ֖וּ עַל־רְחַבְעָ֣ם בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וּרְחַבְעָ֗ם הָ֤יָה נַ֙עַר֙ וְרַךְ־לֵבָ֔ב וְלֹ֥א הִתְחַזַּ֖ק לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

Then some good-for-nothing evil men gathered round him and defied Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when he was young and inexperienced, and couldn't confront them.

8 וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ אַתֶּ֣ם אֹֽמְרִ֗ים לְהִתְחַזֵּק֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַמְלֶ֣כֶת יְהוָ֔ה בְּיַ֖ד בְּנֵ֣י דָוִ֑יד וְאַתֶּם֙ הָמֹ֣ון רָ֔ב וְעִמָּכֶם֙ עֶגְלֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם יָרָבְעָ֖ם לֵאלֹהִֽים׃

Now do you really think you can oppose the kingdom of the Lord, held by David's descendants? You may be a large horde, and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

9 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

But didn't you drive out the priests of the Lord, Aaron's descendants, and the Levites, and make priests for yourselves just like people in other nations do? Now anyone who wants to can come and dedicate himself, sacrificing a young bull and seven rams, and he can become a priest of things that really are not gods.

10 וַאֲנַ֛חְנוּ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א עֲזַבְנֻ֑הוּ וְכֹ֨הֲנִ֜ים מְשָׁרְתִ֤ים לַֽיהוָה֙ בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְהַלְוִיִּ֖ם בַּמְלָֽאכֶת׃

But for us, the Lord is our God! We have not abandoned him. We have priests serving the Lord who are descendants of Aaron, and we have Levites who help them in their ministry.

11 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׃

Morning and evening they present burnt offerings and burn fragrant incense to the Lord. They place the rows of showbread on the purified table, and light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are doing what the Lord our God told us to do, while you have abandoned him.

12 וְהִנֵּה֩ עִמָּ֨נוּ בָרֹ֜אשׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ וְכֹהֲנָ֛יו וַחֲצֹצְרֹ֥ות הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה לְהָרִ֣יעַ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אַל־תִּלָּֽחֲמ֛וּ עִם־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם כִּי־לֹ֥א תַצְלִֽיחוּ׃

God is leading us! His priests blow their trumpets to go into battle against you. People of Israel, don't fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you won't win!”

13 וְיָֽרָבְעָ֗ם הֵסֵב֙ אֶת־הַמַּאְרָ֔ב לָבֹ֖וא מֵֽאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהַמַּאְרָ֖ב מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

But Jeroboam had sent troops around to attack from the rear, so that while he and the main force was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.

14 וַיִּפְנ֣וּ יְהוּדָ֗ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה לָהֶ֤ם הַמִּלְחָמָה֙ פָּנִ֣ים וְאָחֹ֔ור וַֽיִּצְעֲק֖וּ לַיהוָ֑ה וְהַכֹּ֣הֲנִ֔ים מַחֲצֹצְִרים (מַחְצְרִ֖ים) בַּחֲצֹצְרֹֽות׃

Judah turned around and realized that they were having to fight front and rear. They cried out to the Lord for help. Then the priests blew their trumpets,

15 וַיָּרִ֖יעוּ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּהָרִ֙יעַ֙ אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְהָאֱלֹהִ֗ים נָגַ֤ף אֶת־יָֽרָבְעָם֙ וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִפְנֵ֥י אֲבִיָּ֖ה וִיהוּדָֽה׃

and the men of Judah gave a loud shout. When they shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel in front of Abijah and Judah.

16 וַיָּנ֥וּסוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּתְּנֵ֥ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדָֽם׃

The Israelites ran away from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah, defeated.

17 וַיַּכּ֥וּ בָהֶ֛ם אֲבִיָּ֥ה וְעַמֹּ֖ו מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֑ה וַיִּפְּל֤וּ חֲלָלִים֙ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חֲמֵשׁ־מֵאֹ֥ות אֶ֖לֶף אִ֥ישׁ בָּחֽוּר׃

Abijah and his men hit them hard, and 500,000 of Israel's best warriors were killed.

18 וַיִּכָּנְע֥וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא וַיֶּֽאֶמְצוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה כִּ֣י נִשְׁעֲנ֔וּ עַל־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹותֵיהֶֽם׃

So the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their forefathers.

19 וַיִּרְדֹּ֣ף אֲבִיָּה֮ אַחֲרֵ֣י יָרָבְעָם֒ וַיִּלְכֹּ֤ד מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ עָרִ֔ים אֶת־בֵּֽית־אֵל֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־יְשָׁנָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֶ֑יהָ וְאֶת־עֶפְרֹון (עֶפְרַ֖יִן) וּבְנֹתֶֽיהָ׃

Abijah chased Jeroboam and captured some towns from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages.

20 וְלֹֽא־עָצַ֧ר כֹּֽחַ־יָרָבְעָ֛ם עֹ֖וד בִּימֵ֣י אֲבִיָּ֑הוּ וַיִּגְּפֵ֥הוּ יְהוָ֖ה וַיָּמֹֽת׃ פ

Jereboam never regained his power during Abijah's reign. Eventually the Lord struck him down and he died.

21 וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֣ק אֲבִיָּ֔הוּ וַיִּ֨שָּׂא־לֹ֔ו נָשִׁ֖ים אַרְבַּ֣ע עֶשְׂרֵ֑ה וַיֹּ֗ולֶד עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֙יִם֙ בָּנִ֔ים וְשֵׁ֥שׁ עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה בָּנֹֽות׃ ס

But Abijah grew stronger and stronger. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י אֲבִיָּ֔ה וּדְרָכָ֖יו וּדְבָרָ֑יו כְּתוּבִ֕ים בְּמִדְרַ֖שׁ הַנָּבִ֥יא עִדֹּֽו׃

The rest of what Abijah did—what he said and what he accomplished—is recorded in the history written by Iddo the Prophet.