 1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam Abijah began 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 Abijah set the battle in order with an army of mighty men of war, 400,000 chosen men. Jeroboam also set the battle in order against him with 800,000 chosen men, mighty men of valor. 4 Abijah stood up on mount Zemaraim, in the hills of Ephraim and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel. 5 Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, 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, has risen up and has rebelled against his lord. 7 There are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and have made themselves strong against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them. 8 Now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the sons of David. And you are a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made priests for yourselves like the people of the lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, he may be a priest of those who are no gods. 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken Him. The priests who minister to the Lord are the sons of Aaron and the Levites in the work. 11 They burn to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense, and the showbread on the pure table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken Him. 12 Behold, God Himself is with us as Commander, and His priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper. 13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come around behind them, so that they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 Judah turned and saw the battle was before and behind. So they cried out to the Lord and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah shouted. As they shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The children of Israel fled before Judah and God delivered them to them. 17 Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell down dead. 18 The children of Israel were humbled at that time and the children of Judah won because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers. 19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages, and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages. 20 Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah. The Lord struck him and he died. 21 Abijah became mighty, married fourteen wives, and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways and his sayings are written in the account+ of the prophet Iddo.
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