Chapter 13

Now in the eighteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign⁴ over Judah.

He reigned¹ three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also [was] Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

And Abijah set⁴ the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, [even] four hundred thousand chosen⁷ men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array¹ against him with eight hundred thousand chosen⁷ men, [being] mighty men of valour.

And Abijah stood up⁴ upon mount Zemaraim, which [is] in mount Ephraim, and said,⁴ Hear³ me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;

Ought ye not to know² that the LORD God of Israel gave¹ the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, [even] to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up,⁴ and hath rebelled⁴ against his lord.

And there are gathered¹¹ unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened¹⁰¹ themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, ³⁸²⁴ and could not withstand⁹⁸ them.

And now ye think⁶ to withstand⁹⁹ the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye [be] a great multitude, and [there are] with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made¹ you for gods.

Have ye not cast out⁵² the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made⁴ you priests after the manner of the nations of [other] lands? so that whosoever cometh⁶ to consecrate¹⁵ himself with a young ¹¹²¹ bullock and seven rams, [the same] may be a priest of [them that are] no gods.

But as for us, the LORD [is] our God, and we have not forsaken¹ him; and the priests, which minister¹⁸ unto the LORD, [are] the sons of Aaron, and the Levites [wait] upon [their] business:

And they burn⁵⁶ unto the LORD every morning ¹²⁴² and every evening ⁶¹⁵³ burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread ⁴⁶³⁵ also [set they in order] upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn¹⁵ every evening: ⁶¹⁵³ for we keep⁶ the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken¹ him.

And, behold, God himself [is] with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm⁵³ against you. O children of Israel, fight¹¹ ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.⁵⁵

But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come² about⁵² behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment [was] behind them.

And when Judah looked⁴ back, behold, the battle [was] before and behind: and they cried⁴ unto the LORD, and the priests sounded^{56 2690 18} with the trumpets.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout:⁵⁵ and as the men of Judah shouted,⁵³ it came to pass, that God smote¹ Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

And the children of Israel fled⁴ before Judah: and God delivered⁴ them into their hand.

And Abijah and his people slew⁵⁵ them with a great slaughter: so there fell down⁴ slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen⁷ men.

Thus the children of Israel were brought¹¹ under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed,⁴ because they relied⁸ upon the LORD God of their fathers.

And Abijah pursued⁴ after Jeroboam, and took⁴ cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

Neither did Jeroboam recover¹ strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck⁴ him, and he died.⁴

But Abijah waxed mighty,¹⁰¹ and married⁴ fourteen ⁶²⁴⁰ wives, and begat⁵⁵ twenty and two sons, and sixteen ⁶²⁴⁰ daughters.

And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, [are] written⁷ in the story of the prophet Iddo.