1
It was in the eighteenth year of King Yarov'am that Aviyah began his reign over Y'hudah.
2
He ruled three years in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Mikhayahu the daughter of Uri'el from Giv'ah. There was war between Aviyah and Yarov'am.
3
Aviyah joined the battle with an army of valiant soldiers, 400,000 select troops; while Yarov'am took the field against him with 800,000 select troops who were valiant, strong men.
4
Aviyah, standing on Mount Z'marayim, in the hills of Efrayim, cried, "Yarov'am and all Isra'el! Listen to me!
5
Don't you know that ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, gave rulership over Isra'el to David forever, to him and his descendants, by a covenant of salt [which is unbreakable]?
6
Yet Yarov'am the son of N'vat, servant to Shlomo the son of David, rose in rebellion against his lord.
7
There rallied around him worthless brutes who were too strong for Rechav'am the son of Shlomo to withstand when he was young and inexperienced.
8
Now you expect to withstand the kingdom of ADONAI in the hands of the descendants of David. Yes, there are a great number of you, and you have with you the gold calves that Yarov'am made as gods for you.
9
Yes, you drove out the cohanim of ADONAI, the descendants of Aharon, and the L'vi'im; and you made yourselves priests as do the peoples in other countries, so that anyone who comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of those non-gods.