^{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. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

^{3 Ref} And 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} And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel:

^{5 Ref} Ought ye not to know that Jehovah, the 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 Ref} Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord.

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

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

^{9 Ref} Have ye not driven out the priests of Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests after the manner of the peoples 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 Ref} But as for us, Jehovah is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and `we have' priests ministering unto Jehovah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work:

^{11 Ref} and they burn unto Jehovah every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense: the showbread 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 Jehovah our God; but ye have forsaken him.

^{12 Ref} And, behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against Jehovah, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.

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

^{14 Ref} And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried unto Jehovah, 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 came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

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

^{17 Ref} And Abijah and his people slew 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 upon Jehovah, the God of their fathers.

^{19 Ref} And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Beth-el with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephron with the towns thereof.

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

^{21 Ref} But Abijah waxed mighty, and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

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