Abijah King of Judah

13:1–2,22–14:1pp—1Ki 15:1–2,6–8

13 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah,a c a daughterb of Uriel of Gibeah.

There was war between Abijahd and Jeroboam.e 3 Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops.

4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,f in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel,g listen to me! 5 Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants foreverh by a covenant of salt?i 6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelledj against his master. 7 Some worthless scoundrelsk gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisivel and not strong enough to resist them.

8 “And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David’s descendants.m You are indeed a vast army and have with youn the golden calveso that Jeroboam made to be your gods. 9 But didn’t you drive out the priestsp of the Lord,q the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullr and seven ramss may become a priest of what are not gods.t

10 “As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. 11 Every morning and eveningu they present burnt offerings and fragrant incensev to the Lord. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean tablew and light the lampsx on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the Lord our God. But you have forsaken him. 12 God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you.y People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord,z the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”a

13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambushb was behind them. 14 Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried outc to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israeld before Abijah and Judah. 16 The Israelites fled before Judah, and God deliverede them into their hands. 17 Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men. 18 The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they reliedf on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. 20 Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died.

21 But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.

22 The other events of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo.