2 Chronicles 13:2–20

²He 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.

³And Abijah began the battle with a military force of mighty men, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam arranged them all for battle against him with 800,000 chosen men who were mighty men of valor.

God Smites Israel Before Judah

⁴Then Abijah rose up on Mount ^aZemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel:

⁵“Do you not know that ^aYahweh, the God of Israel, gave the rule over Israel forever to David ¹and his sons by ^ba covenant of salt?

⁶“Yet ^aJeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his ¹master,

⁷and worthless men gathered about him, vile men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon; ^1ahe was young and timid and could not exert his strength before them.

⁸“So now you ¹intend to exert your strength before the kingdom of Yahweh by the hand of the sons of David, ²being a great multitude and having with you ^athe golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you.

⁹“^aHave you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes ^bto ordain himself with a bull from the herd and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are ^cno gods.

¹⁰“But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to Yahweh as priests, and the Levites are in their work.

¹¹“And every morning and evening ^athey ¹burn to Yahweh 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 responsibility given by Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken Him.

¹²“And behold, God is with us at our head and ^aHis priests with the signal trumpets to raise the shout of war against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

¹³But Jeroboam ^ahad encircled an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them.

¹⁴So Judah turned around, and behold, ¹they were attacked both front and rear; so ^athey cried to Yahweh, and the priests blew the trumpets.

¹⁵Then the men of Judah raised a shout of war, and when the men of Judah raised the shout of war, then it was that God ^asmote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

¹⁶So the sons of Israel fled before Judah, and ^aGod gave them into their hand.

¹⁷And Abijah and his people struck them down with a great slaughter, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.

¹⁸Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah were strong ^abecause they leaned upon Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

¹⁹And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its towns, Jeshanah with its towns, and ¹Ephron with its towns.

Death of Jeroboam

²⁰Now Jeroboam did not again recover power in the days of Abijah; and ^aYahweh smote him and ^bhe died.