2 Chronicles 13
1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.
2 He reigned in Jerusalem for three years. His mother’s name was Micaiah, daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 Abijah went into battle with an army of 400,000 chosen warriors. Jeroboam drew up against him for battle with 800,000 chosen men, mighty warriors.
4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam, and all Israel!
5 Shouldn’t you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?
6 But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master.
7 Worthless men, good-for-nothings, gathered around him and defied Rehoboam son of Solomon. Rehoboam was young and weak-hearted, and he could not stand up to them.
8 Now you think you can stand against the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are a great multitude, and you have with you the golden calves Jeroboam made for you as gods.
9 Didn’t you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites? You made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands: anyone who comes with a young bull and seven rams to consecrate himself becomes a priest of what is no god.
10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites carry out their service.
11 They burn offerings to the LORD every morning and evening, and fragrant incense. They arrange the bread on the clean table, and each evening they light the golden lampstand and its lamps. We keep the charge of the LORD our God, but you have abandoned him.
12 Look, God is with us at our head, and his priests are here with the trumpets to sound the alarm against you. Israelites, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”
13 Jeroboam sent the ambush around to come up behind them. So they faced Judah, while the ambush was behind them.
14 Judah turned and saw that the battle was in front of them and behind them. They cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets.
15 The men of Judah raised the battle cry. When they did, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16 The Israelites fled from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah.
17 Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter. Five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell dead.
18 At that time the Israelites were humbled, and the men of Judah grew strong because they relied on the LORD, the God of their ancestors.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some of his cities: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages.
20 Jeroboam never regained his strength during Abijah’s days. The LORD struck him, and he died.
21 Abijah grew strong. He took fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 The rest of Abijah’s acts, his ways, and his words are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
23 Abijah rested with his ancestors, and they buried him in the City of David. His son Asa became king in his place. In Asa’s days the land had peace for ten years.
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