2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king of Judah,

2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.

4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

5 Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

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

7 Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

8 And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

9 But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods.

10 But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

11 Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.

12 Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.

14 When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

18 Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.

19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages.

20 Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down and he died.

21 But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, along with his ways and his words, are written in the Treatise of the Prophet Iddo.

1 ¶ Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also [was] Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, [even] four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, [being] mighty men of valour.

4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which [is] in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;

5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

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

7 And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye [be] a great multitude, and [there are] with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of [other] lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, [the same] may be a priest of [them that are] no gods.

10 But as for us, the LORD [is] our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, [are] the sons of Aaron, and the Levites [wait] upon [their] business:

11 And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also [set they in order] upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.

12 And, behold, God himself [is] with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

13 ¶ But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment [was] behind them.

14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle [was] before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.

17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.

19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.

21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, [are] written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

1 In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam the king, Abijah reigned in Judah.

2 And he reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel the Gibeahite. And there was a controversy between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abijah prepared himself to battle with four hundred thousand young men, strong men of war. And Jeroboam armed himself to battle with him, with eight hundred thousand strong men.

4 And Abijah went up into mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam, and all Israel.

5 Know ye not that the LORD God of Israel hath given the kingdom to David for ever, to him and to his sons a covenant of salt?

6 And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and turned away from his master.

7 And the people and the children of Belial came up against him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon. For Rehoboam was young, and of a foolish heart, that he resisted them not.

8 Now think ye to set yourselves against the kingdom of the LORD among the sons of David, because ye are a great multitude; and ye have calves of gold, which Jeroboam made unto you for gods.

9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the children of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you your own priests, as the nations of the earth? He that cometh to fill his hand with a young bullock and seven rams, the same shall be the priest of them that are no gods.

10 But with us is the LORD our God, whom we will not forsake; and the priests that minister unto the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, in their business,

11 And burn incense unto the LORD every morning, and every evening, and the good incense, and the bread prepared upon a clean table, and the candlestick of gold, and the lamps thereof, to be burned every evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but ye have forsaken him.

12 Behold, with us at the head is God, and his priests, and the trumpets to sound the trumpet against you. Ye children of Israel, fight not against the LORD God of your fathers: for ye shall not prosper.

13 But Jeroboam set an ambush round about, to come upon them from behind: and they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

14 And when Judah turned, behold, there was war in the front, and in the rear. And they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with trumpets.

15 And all the people of Judah killed. And when all the people of Judah made a noise, God afflicted Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 And the children of Israel fled from Judah, and God delivered them into their hand,

17 And Abijah and his people did great slaughter against them, and slew of Israel five hundred thousand young men.

18 So the children of Israel were humbled at that time: but the children of Judah were comforted, because they trusted in the LORD God of their fathers.

19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and gained him cities: Bethel with her daughters, Jezana with her daughters, and Ephron with her daughters,

20 And Jeroboam had no more strength, because Abijah was alive. And the LORD afflicted him, that he died.

21 And when Abijah was strengthened, he took fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his doings, are they not written in the book of the history of Iddo the prophet? Ch. 14:1. And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In those days the land was quiet ten years.