Chronicles II 13

1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam Abia began to reign over Juda.

In the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah became king of Judah,

2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maacha, daughter of Uriel of Gabaon. And there was war between Abia and Jeroboam.

and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abia set the battle in array with an army, with mighty men of war, [even] four hundred thousand mighty men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand, [they were] mighty warriors of the host.

Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in formation against him with 800,000 chosen and mighty men of valor.

4 And Abia rose up from the mount Somoron, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear you, Jeroboam, and all Israel:

Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

5 [Is it] not for you to know that the Lord God of Israel has given a king over Israel for ever to David, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

Do you not know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?

6 But Jeroboam the [son] of Nabat, the servant of Solomon [the son] of David, is risen up, and has revolted from his master:

Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.

7 and there are gathered to him pestilent men, transgressors, and he has risen up against Roboam the [son] of Solomon, while Roboam was young and fearful in heart, and he withstood him not.

Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

8 And now you profess to resist the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and you [are] a great multitude, and with you are golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

And now you think you can resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army, and you have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.

9 Did you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make to yourselves priests of the people of any [other] land? whoever came to consecrate himself with a calf of the heard and seven rams, he forthwith became a priest to that which is no god.

But did you not drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? And did you not make priests for yourselves as do the peoples of other lands? Now whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of things that are not gods.

10 But we have not forsaken the Lord our God, and his priests, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, minister to the Lord; and in their daily courses

But as for us, the LORD is our God. We have not forsaken Him; the priests who minister to the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties.

11 they sacrifice to the Lord whole burnt offering, morning and evening, and compound incense, and [set] the show bread on the pure table; and [there is] the golden candlestick, and the lamps for burning, to light in the evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord God of our fathers; but you have forsaken him.

Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.

12 And, behold, the Lord and his priests are with us at our head, and the signal trumpets to sound an alarm over us. Children of Israel, fight not against the Lord God of our fathers; for you shall not prosper.

Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

13 Now Jeroboam had caused an ambush to come round upon him from behind: and he [himself] was before Juda, and the ambush behind.

Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to ambush from the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them.

14 And Juda looked back, and, behold, the battle [was] against them before and behind: and they cried to the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets,

15 And the men of Juda shouted: and it came to pass, when the men of Juda shouted, that the Lord struck Jeroboam and Israel before Abia and Juda.

and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. And when they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

16 And the children of Israel fled from before Juda; and the Lord delivered them into their hands.

So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.

17 And Abia and his people struck them with a great slaughter: and there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand mighty men.

Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

18 So the children of Israel were brought low in that day, and the children of Juda prevailed, because they trusted on the Lord God of their fathers.

Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.

19 And Abia pursued after Jeroboam, and he took from him the cities, Baethel and her towns, and Jesyna and her towns, and Ephron and her towns.

Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their villages.

20 And Jeroboam did not recover strength again all the days of Abia: and the Lord struck him, and he died.

Jeroboam did not again recover his power during the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him down and he died.

21 But Abia strengthened himself, and took to himself fourteen wives, and he begot twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters.

But Abijah grew strong, married fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 And the rest of the acts of Abia, and his deeds, and his sayings, are written in the book of the prophet Addo.

Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, along with his ways and his words, are written in the Treatise of the Prophet Iddo.