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 valor.
4
And Abijah stood 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, hath risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.
7
And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and [they] have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, 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 [are] 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 for you priests after the manner of the nations of [other] lands? so that whoever 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, who minister to the LORD, [are] the sons of Aaron, and the Levites [wait] upon [their] business:
11
And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt-sacrifices and sweet incense: the show-bread also [they set in order] upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with its lamps 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 will not prosper.
13
But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush [was] behind them.