^{1 Ref} In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.

^{2 Ref} He was king in Jerusalem for three years; his mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

^{3 Ref} And Abijah went out to the fight with an army of men of war, four hundred thousand of his best men; and Jeroboam put his forces in line against him, eight hundred thousand of his best men of war.

^{4 Ref} And Abijah took up his position on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Give ear to me, O Jeroboam and all Israel:

^{5 Ref} Is it not clear to you that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel to David and to his sons for ever, by an agreement made with salt?

^{6 Ref} But Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon, the son of David, took up arms against his lord.

^{7 Ref} And certain foolish and good-for-nothing men were joined with him, and made themselves strong against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and untested and not able to keep them back.

^{8 Ref} And now it is your purpose to put yourselves against the authority which the Lord has put into the hands of the sons of David, and you are a very great number, and you have with you the gold oxen which Jeroboam made to be your gods.

^{9 Ref} And after driving out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, have you not made priests for yourselves as the people of other lands do? so that anyone who comes to make himself priest by offering an ox or seven sheep, may be a priest of those who are no gods.

^{10 Ref} But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not been turned away from him; we have priests who do the work of the Lord, even the sons of Aaron and the Levites in their places;

^{11 Ref} By whom burned offerings and perfumes are sent up in smoke before the Lord every morning and every evening; and they put out the holy bread on its table and the gold support for the lights with its lights burning every evening; for we keep the orders given to us by the Lord our God, but you have gone away from him.

^{12 Ref} And now God is with us at our head, and his priests with their loud horns sounding against you. O children of Israel, do not make war on the Lord, the God of your fathers, for it will not go well for you.

^{13 Ref} But Jeroboam had put some of his men to make a surprise attack on them from the back, so some were facing Judah and others were stationed secretly at their back.

^{14 Ref} And Judah, turning their faces, saw that they were being attacked in front and at the back; and they gave a cry for help to the Lord, while the priests were sounding their horns.

^{15 Ref} And the men of Judah gave a loud cry; and at their cry, God put fear into Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

^{16 Ref} And the children of Israel went in flight before Judah, and God gave them up into their hands.

^{17 Ref} And Abijah and his people put them to death with great destruction: five hundred thousand of the best of Israel were put to the sword.

^{18 Ref} So at that time the children of Israel were overcome, and the children of Judah got the better of them, because they put their faith in the Lord, the God of their fathers.

^{19 Ref} And Abijah went after Jeroboam and took some of his towns, Beth-el with its small towns and Jeshanah with its small towns and Ephron with its small towns.

^{20 Ref} And Jeroboam did not get back his power again in the life-time of Abijah; and the Lord sent death on him.

^{21 Ref} But Abijah became great, and had fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

^{22 Ref} And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his sayings, are recorded in the account of the prophet Iddo.

^{1 Ref} In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam -- Abijah reigneth over Judah;

^{2 Ref} 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.

^{3 Ref} 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.

^{4 Ref} 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!

^{5 Ref} 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?

^{6 Ref} and rise up doth Jeroboam, son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, and rebelleth against his lord!

^{7 Ref} `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.

^{8 Ref} `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.

^{9 Ref} `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!

^{10 Ref} `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,

^{11 Ref} 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.

^{12 Ref} `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.'

^{13 Ref} And Jeroboam hath brought round the ambush to come in from behind them, and they are before Judah, and the ambush `is' behind them.

^{14 Ref} 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,

^{15 Ref} 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.

^{16 Ref} And the sons of Israel flee from the face of Judah, and God giveth them into their hand,

^{17 Ref} and Abijah and his people smite among them a great smiting, and there fall wounded of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

^{18 Ref} 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.

^{19 Ref} 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.

^{20 Ref} And Jeroboam hath not retained power any more in the days of Abijah, and Jehovah smiteth him, and he dieth.

^{21 Ref} And Abijah strengtheneth himself, and taketh to him fourteen wives, and begetteth twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters,

^{22 Ref} and the rest of the matters of Abijah, and his ways, and his words, are written in the `Inquiry' of the prophet Iddo.

^{1 Ref} In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

^{2 Ref} Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

^{3 Ref} Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor.

^{4 Ref} Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

^{5 Ref} Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

^{6 Ref} Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

^{7 Ref} There were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

^{8 Ref} Now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

^{9 Ref} Haven't you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests after the manner of the peoples of [other] lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a priest of [those who are] no gods.

^{10 Ref} But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and [we have] priests ministering to Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work:

^{11 Ref} and they burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense: the show bread also [set they] in order on the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with the lamps of it, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of Yahweh our God; but you have forsaken him.

^{12 Ref} Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don't you fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper.

^{13 Ref} But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

^{14 Ref} When Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

^{15 Ref} Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

^{16 Ref} The children of Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.

^{17 Ref} Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

^{18 Ref} Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

^{19 Ref} Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns of it, and Jeshanah with the towns of it, and Ephron with the towns of it.

^{20 Ref} Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Yahweh struck him, and he died.

^{21 Ref} But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

^{22 Ref} The rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.