2
He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was
1Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
2Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3
Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam
3drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors.
4
Then Abijah stood up on Mount
4Zemaraim that is in
5the hill country of Ephraim and said, "Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!
5
Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel
6gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by
7a covenant of salt?
6
Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up
8and rebelled against his lord,
7
and certain
9worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was
10young and irresolute and could not withstand them.
8
"And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you
11the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.
9
12Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes
13for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are
14no gods.
10
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the LORD who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service.
11
They offer to the LORD
15every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out
16the showbread on the table of pure gold,
17and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may
18burn every evening. For we
19keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have forsaken him.
12
Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests
20with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel,
21do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed."
13
Jeroboam had sent
22an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
14
And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them.
23And they cried to the LORD, and the priests
24blew the trumpets.
15
Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted,
25God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16
The men of Israel fled before Judah,
26and God gave them into their hand.
17
Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men.
18
Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed,
27because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.
19
And Abijah pursued Jeroboam
28and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and
29Ephron with its villages.
20
Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah.
30And the LORD struck him down,
31and he died.