1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over
Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was
Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and
Jeroboam. 3 Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even
four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array
against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of
valor. 4 Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country
of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Ought you
not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to
David forever, even 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, rose up,
and rebelled against his lord. 7 There were gathered to him worthless men,
base fellows, who strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of
Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand
them. 8 Now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand
of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with
you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 Haven't you
driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and
made you priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so
that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams,
the same may be a priest of those who are no gods. 10 But as for
us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we have
priests ministering to Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their
work: 11 and they burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt
offerings and sweet incense: the show bread also set they in order on
the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with the lamps of it, to burn every
evening: for we keep the charge of Yahweh our God; but you have forsaken
him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the
trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don't
you fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you shall
not prosper. 13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them:
so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah
looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind them; and they cried to
Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 Then the men of
Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened, that God
struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The children of
Israel fled before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand.
17 Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter: so there fell
down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18 Thus the
children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah
prevailed, because they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
19 Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with
the towns of it, and Jeshanah with the towns of it, and Ephron with the towns
of it. 20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of
Abijah: and Yahweh struck him, and he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty, and
took to himself fourteen wives, and became the father of twenty-two sons, and
sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and
his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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