2 Chronicles 13

Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam

11In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

2Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3Abijah began the battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with 800,000 chosen men who were valiant warriors.

Civil War

4Then Abijah stood on Mount 3Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5Do you not know that 4the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David 5and his sons by 6a covenant of salt? 6Yet 7Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his 8master, 7and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when 910he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.

8“So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the Lord 11through the sons of David, 12being a great multitude and having with you 13the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. 914Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes 15to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are 16no gods. 10But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the Lord as priests, and the Levites 17attend to their work. 11Every morning and evening 18they 19burn to the Lord burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and 20the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12Now behold, God is with us at our head and 21His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”

13But Jeroboam 22had set an ambush to come from the rear, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14When Judah turned around, behold, 23they were attacked both front and rear; so 24they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, then it was that God 2526routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16When the sons of Israel fled before Judah, 27God gave them into their hand. 17Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18Thus the sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah 28conquered 29because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers. 19Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages and 30Ephron with its villages.

Death of Jeroboam

20Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the 31Lord struck him and 32he died.

21But Abijah became powerful; and took fourteen wives to himself, and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in 33the 34treatise of 35the prophet Iddo.