2 Chronicles 13

1Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valour. 4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, you Jeroboam, and all Israel; 5Ought ye not to know that the Yahuah Elohim of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and has rebelled against his lord. 7And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. 8And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Yahuah in the hand of the sons of David; and ye a great multitude, and with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9Have ye not cast out the priests of the Yahuah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, may be a priest of no gods. 10But as for us, the Yahuah our Elohim, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the Yahuah, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites upon business: 11And they burn unto the Yahuah every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the Yahuah our Elohim; but ye have forsaken him. 12And, behold, Elohim himself with us for captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Yahuah Elohim of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. 13But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment behind them. 14And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle before and behind: and they cried unto the Yahuah, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that Elohim smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and Elohim delivered them into their hand. 17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Yahuah Elohim of their fathers. 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof. 20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Yahuah struck him, and he died. 21But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters. 22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, written in the story of the prophet Iddo.