aIn the eighteenth year
of King
Jeroboam
, Abijah
became
king
over
Judah
.
He reigned three
years
in Jerusalem
; and his mother's
name
was Micaiah
the daughter
of Uriel
of Gibeah
.
aNow there was war between
Abijah
and Jeroboam
.
Abijah began
the battle
with an army
of valiant
warriors
, 400,000
chosen
men
, while Jeroboam
drew
up in battle
formation
against
him with 800,000
chosen
men
who were valiant
warriors
.
Then Abijah stood
on Mount
aZemaraim
, which
is in the hill
country
of Ephraim
, and said
, "Listen
to me, Jeroboam
and all
Israel
:
"Do you not know that athe LORD
God
of Israel
gave
the rule
over
Israel
forever
to David
1and his sons
by ba covenant
of salt
?
"Yet aJeroboam the son
of Nebat
, the servant
of Solomon
the son
of David
, rose
up and rebelled
against
his 1master
,
and worthless men
gathered
about
him, scoundrels
, who proved
too
strong
for Rehoboam
, the son
of Solomon
, when 1 ahe was young
and timid
and could not hold
his own
against
them.
"So now you intend
to resist
the kingdom
of the LORD
1through
the sons
of David
, 2being a great
multitude
and having with you athe golden
calves
which
Jeroboam
made
for gods
for you.
" aHave you not driven out the priests
of the LORD
, the sons
of Aaron
and the Levites
, and made
for yourselves priests
like the peoples
of other lands
? Whoever
comes
bto consecrate
himself
with a young
bull
and seven
rams
, even he may become
a priest
of what are cno
gods
.
"But as for us, the LORD is our God
, and we have not forsaken
Him; and the sons
of Aaron
are ministering
to the LORD
as priests
, and the Levites
1attend to their work
.
"Every morning
and evening
athey 1burn
to the LORD
burnt
offerings
and fragrant
incense
, and bthe showbread
is set on the clean
table
, and the golden
lampstand
with its lamps
is ready to light
every
evening
; for we keep
the charge
of the LORD
our God
, but you have forsaken
Him.
"Now behold, God
is with us at our head
and aHis priests
with the signal
trumpets
to sound
the alarm
against
you. O sons
of Israel
, do not fight
against
the LORD
God
of your fathers
, for you will not succeed
."
But Jeroboam ahad set
an ambush
to come
from the rear
, so that Israel was in front
of Judah
and the ambush
was behind
them.
When Judah turned
around
, behold
, 1they were attacked
both front
and rear
; so athey cried
to the LORD
, and the priests
blew
the trumpets
.
Then the men of Judah
raised
a war cry
, and when the men
of Judah
raised
the war cry
, then it was that God
1 arouted
Jeroboam
and all
Israel
before
Abijah
and Judah
.
When the sons of Israel
fled
before
Judah
, aGod
gave
them into their hand
.
Abijah and his people
defeated
them with a great
slaughter
, so that 500,000
chosen
men
of Israel
fell
slain
.
Thus the sons of Israel
were subdued
at that time
, and the sons
of Judah
1conquered
abecause
they trusted
in the LORD
, the God
of their fathers
.
Abijah pursued
Jeroboam
and captured
from him several cities
, Bethel
with its villages
, Jeshanah
with its villages
and 1Ephron
with its villages
.
Jeroboam did not again
recover
strength
in the days
of Abijah
; and the aLORD
struck
him and bhe died
.
But Abijah became
powerful
; and took
fourteen
wives
to himself, and became
the father
of twenty-two
sons
and sixteen
daughters
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Abijah
, and his ways
and his words
are written
in athe 1treatise
of bthe prophet
Iddo
.