2 Chronicles 13

Abijah Reigns in Judah

(1 Kings 15:1–8)

1In the eighteenthH8083H6240 yearH8141 of Jeroboam’sH3379 reignH4428, AbijahH291 became kingH4427 ofH5921 JudahH3063, 2and he reignedH4427 in JerusalemH3389 threeH7969 yearsH8141. His mother’sH517 nameH8034 was MicaiahH43222 daughterH13233 of UrielH222; she was fromH4480 GibeahH1390.

And there wasH1961 warH4421 betweenH996 AbijahH29H996 and JeroboamH3379. 3AbijahH29 wentH631 into battleH4421 with an armyH2428H1368H4421 of 400,000H702H3967H505 chosenH977 menH376, while JeroboamH3379 drew upH6186 in formationH4421 against himH5973 with 800,000H8083H3967H505 chosenH977 and mightyH1368 menH376 of valorH2428.

Civil War against Jeroboam

4Then AbijahH29 stoodH6965 onH5921 MountH2022 ZemaraimH6787 in the hill countryH2022 of EphraimH669 and saidH559, “Hear meH8085, O JeroboamH3379 and allH3605 IsraelH3478! 5Do you notH3808 knowH3045 thatH3588 the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, has givenH5414 the kingshipH4467 ofH5921 IsraelH3478 to DavidH1732 and his descendantsH1121 foreverH5769 by a covenantH1285 of saltH44174? 6Yet JeroboamH3379 sonH1121 of NebatH5028, a servantH5650 of SolomonH8010 sonH1121 of DavidH1732, rose upH6965 and rebelledH4775 againstH5921 his masterH113. 7Then worthlessH7386 and wickedH1100 menH1121 gatheredH6908 around himH5921H582 to resistH553H5921 RehoboamH7346 sonH1121 of SolomonH8010 whenH7346 he wasH1961 youngH5288, inexperiencedH7390H3824, and unableH3808 to resistH2388 themH6440.

8And nowH6258 youH859 thinkH559 you can resistH2388H6440 the kingdomH4467 of the LORDH3068, which is in the handsH3027 of David’sH1732 descendantsH1121. YouH859 are indeed a vastH7227 armyH1995, and you have with youH5973 the goldenH2091 calvesH5695 thatH834 JeroboamH3379 madeH6213 for you as godsH430. 9But did you notH3808 drive outH5080 the priestsH3548 of the LORDH3068, the sonsH1121 of AaronH175, and the LevitesH3881? And did you not makeH6213 priestsH3548 for yourselves as do the peoplesH5971 of other landsH776? Now whoeverH3605 comesH935 to consecrateH4390 himselfH3027 with a young bullH6499H1121H1241 and sevenH7651 ramsH352 can becomeH1961 a priestH3548 of things that are notH3808 godsH430.

10But as for usH587, the LORDH3068 is our GodH430. We have notH3808 forsaken HimH5800; the priestsH3548 who ministerH8334 to the LORDH3068 are sonsH1121 of AaronH175, and the LevitesH3881 attend to their dutiesH4399. 11Every morningH1242 and every eveningH6153 they presentH6999 burnt offeringsH5930 and fragrantH5561 incenseH7004 to the LORDH3068. They set out the rowsH4635 of showbreadH3899 onH5921 the ceremonially cleanH2889 tableH7979, and every eveningH6153 they lightH1197 the lampsH5216 of the goldH2091 lampstandH4501. WeH587 are carrying outH8104 the requirementsH4931 of the LORDH3068 our GodH430, while youH859 have forsakenH5800 HimH853.

12Now beholdH2009, God Himself isH430 with usH5973 as our headH7218, and His priestsH3548 with their trumpetsH2689 soundH7321 the battle callH8643 against youH5921. O childrenH1121 of IsraelH3478, do notH408 fightH3898 againstH5973 the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of your fathersH1, forH3588 you will notH3808 succeedH6743.”

13Now JeroboamH3379 had sentH935 troops aroundH5437 to ambushH3993 from the rearH310, so that while he wasH1961 in frontH6440 of JudahH3063, the ambushH3993 was behind themH310. 14When JudahH3063 turnedH6437 and discoveredH2009 that the battleH4421 was both beforeH6440 and behind themH268, they cried outH6817 to the LORDH3068. Then the priestsH3548 blewH2690 the trumpetsH2689, 15and the menH376 of JudahH3063H1961 raised the battle cryH7321. And whenH376H3063 they raised the cryH7321, GodH430 routedH5062 JeroboamH3379 and allH3605 IsraelH3478 beforeH6440 AbijahH29 and JudahH3063.

16So the IsraelitesH1121H3478 fledH5127 beforeH6440 JudahH3063, and GodH430 delivered themH5414 into their handsH3027. 17Then AbijahH29 and his peopleH5971 struckH5221 them with a mightyH7227 blowH4347, and 500,000H2568H3967H505 chosenH977 menH376 of IsraelH3478 fellH5307 slainH2491. 18Thus the IsraelitesH1121H3478 were subduedH3665 at thatH1931 timeH6256, and the menH1121 of JudahH3063 prevailedH553 becauseH3588 they reliedH8172 onH5921 the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of their fathersH1.

19AbijahH29H310 pursuedH7291 JeroboamH3379 and capturedH3920 some citiesH5892 from himH4480: BethelH1008, JeshanahH3466, andH853 EphronH6085, along with their villagesH1323.

20JeroboamH3379 did notH3808 againH5750 recoverH6113 his powerH3581 during the daysH3117 of AbijahH29, and the LORDH3068 struck him downH5062 and he diedH4191.

21But AbijahH29 grew strongH2388, marriedH5375 fourteenH702H6240 wivesH802, and became the fatherH3205 of twenty-twoH6242H8147 sonsH1121 and sixteenH8337H6240 daughtersH1323. 22Now the restH3499 of the actsH1697 of AbijahH29, along with his waysH1870 and his wordsH1697, are writtenH3789 in the TreatiseH40975 of the ProphetH5030 IddoH5714.