II Chronicles 13

1. Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

2. He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Michaiah, She is called Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom in 2 Chr. 11:20the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3. And Abijah set the battle in order with an army of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam also set the battle in order against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valor.

4. And Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, in the hills of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel.

5. Should you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, 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, has risen up and has rebelled against his lord.

7. And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and have made themselves strong against Rehoboam the son of Solomon; and Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them.

8. And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hands of the sons of David. And you are a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

9. Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have you not made priests to yourselv es like the peoples of the lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, he may be a priest of those who are not 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 in the work.

11. And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense, and set in order the showbread upon the pure table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening, for we keep the charge of the LORD our God, but youhave forsaken Him.

12. And behold, God Himself is with us as Commander and His priests with sounding silver trumpets to cry the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!”

13. But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come around behind them, so that they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

14. And Judah turned, and, behold, the battle was before and behind. And they cried to the LORD, and the priests sounded with the silver trumpets.

15. And the men of Judah shouted. Then it came to pass as the men of Judah shouted, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16. And the children of Israel fled before Judah. And God delivered them into their hand.

17. And Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter. And there fell down dead five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel.

18. And the children of Israel were subdued at that time, and the children of Judah won because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.

19. And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him—Bethel with its villages, and Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.

20. And Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah. And the LORD struck him and he died.

21. But Abijah became mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

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