2 Chronicles 13:11

2 Chronicles 13:1-22

¹In year eighteen of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. ²Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. ³Abijah joined battle with a force of mighty men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam drew up battle against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valor. ⁴Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel! ⁵Is it not for you to know that YHWH Elohim of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David forever, to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt? ⁶But Jeroboam son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord. ⁷Empty men, worthless fellows, gathered around him and made themselves strong against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender of heart, and he did not hold firm before them. ⁸And now you propose to hold firm before the kingdom of YHWH in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the calves of gold that Jeroboam made for you as gods. ⁹Have you not driven out the priests of YHWH, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of the lands? Whoever comes to be ordained with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest of what is not Elohim. ¹⁰But as for us, YHWH is our Elohim, and we have not abandoned him; the priests ministering to YHWH are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are at the work. ¹¹They offer up in smoke to YHWH burnt offerings every morning and every evening, and fragrant incense; they set the row of bread on the pure table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of YHWH our Elohim, but you have abandoned him. ¹²And look, with us at the head is Elohim, and his priests with the trumpets of acclamation, to sound an acclamation against you. Sons of Israel, do not fight against YHWH, Elohim of your fathers, for you will not succeed.” ¹³But Jeroboam had sent around the ambush to come from behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush behind them. ¹⁴Judah turned, and look, they had the battle in front and behind; and they cried out to YHWH, and the priests were blowing the trumpets. ¹⁵The men of Judah raised the acclamation; and it happened, when the men of Judah raised the acclamation, that Elohim struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. ¹⁶The sons of Israel fled before Judah, and Elohim gave them into their hand. ¹⁷Abijah and his people struck them with a great blow, and there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. ¹⁸The sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah grew firm, because they relied on YHWH, Elohim of their fathers. ¹⁹Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured cities from him: Bethel and its villages, and Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephrain and its villages. ²⁰Jeroboam did not retain strength again in the days of Abijah; and YHWH struck him, and he died. ²¹But Abijah grew strong; he took for himself fourteen wives, and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. ²²The rest of the deeds of Abijah, and his ways and his words, are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo.

1 Kings 15:1-8

¹In year eighteen of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah. ²Three years he reigned in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. ³He walked in all the sins of his father that he had done before him; and his heart was not whole with YHWH his Elohim, like the heart of David his father. ⁴But for the sake of David YHWH his Elohim gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, raising up his son after him and establishing Jerusalem; ⁵because David had done what was right in the eyes of YHWH, and had not turned aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. ⁶And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. ⁷The rest of the deeds of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. ⁸Abijam lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David; and Asa his son reigned in his place.