Bible Time

¹IN the 18th year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat Abijah began to reign over the tribe of Judah. ²He reigned 3 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Maachah the daughter of Uriel of Ramtha. ³And Abijah mobilized an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 young men, who took on themselves to go and fight against Jeroboam the son of Nebat. And Jeroboam had also mobilized an army, and he came to fight against him with 800,000 young men, being mighty men of valor.

⁴And Abijah stood on mount Zemaraim, which is in the border of mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Oh Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and all Israel; ⁵Perhaps you know that Yahvah God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever, even to him and to his sons by a contract pertaining to the kingship. ⁶Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. ⁷And he gathered to him certain wicked men, the children of iniquity, and he prevailed against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and not advanced in years and did not know what to say, and did not comfort the people concerning the heavy yoke which Solomon his father had laid on them. ⁸And even now what can you say? You went away and renounced the kingdom of the house of David and went and served dead gods. And I reign over a single tribe, but you over many tribes, and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam the son of Nebat made for you. ⁹And you have cast out the priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and have made priests for yourselves of the people of the land. And whoever comes to offer an offering, you take from him a young bullock and 7 rams, and he becomes a priest of those who are not gods. ¹⁰But as for us, we have not forsaken Yahvah our God, and the priests, who minister to Yahvah, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites serve as they should; ¹¹They offer to Yahvah every morning and every evening burnt offering and sweet incense, and set the shewbread in order on the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with its lamps, and a boy having charge of the lamps lights them every evening; thus we have charge of the ordinances of Yahvah our God; ¹²But you have forsaken him and have gone after dead gods, and you serve them and worship them; and have forsaken Yahvah God of your fathers, therefore you will not prosper in the world.

¹³But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. ¹⁴And when Judah looked back, look, the battle was before and behind; and they cried to Yahvah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. ¹⁵And it came to pass when the men of the house of Judah shouted, Yahvah defeated Jeroboam the son of Nebat and all Israel before Judah and Abijah. ¹⁶And the children of Israel fled before Judah; ¹⁷And Abijah slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 young men. ¹⁸Thus the children of Israel were defeated at that time and the children of Judah prevailed, because they said, We rely on Yahvah God of our fathers. ¹⁹And Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took some great cities from him, Bethel with its pastures, Shelah with its pastures, and Ephron with its pastures. ²⁰But Jereboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and Yahvah struck Jeroboam, and he died.

²¹And Abijah became strong, and he married 14 wives, and there were born to him 22 sons and 16 daughters. ²²And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways, look, are written in the poems of the prophet Iddo.