King James Version

1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Michajah, the daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 And Abijah gathered the battle against them with an army of mighty warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam arranged battle against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty warriors. 4 And Abijah rose up on the mountain of Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel." 5 "Is it not for you to know that the LORD God of Israel has given a kingdom to David over Israel forever, he and his sons, a covenant of salt?" 6 And Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, arose and rebelled against his lord. 7 And worthless men, sons of Belial, gathered against me, and they strengthened themselves against Rehoboam, son of Solomon; and Rehoboam was a young man and tenderhearted and did not strengthen himself before them. 8 And now you say to strengthen yourselves against the kingdom of the LORD by the hand of the sons of David, and you are a great multitude, and with you are the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 Have you not driven away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of the lands, whoever comes to fill his hand with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest for what is not God? 10 And we, O Yahweh our God, have not forsaken Him, and the priests who serve Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in the work. 11 And we are offering to the Lord burnt offerings in the morning and in the evening, and incense of spices, and arranging the bread on the pure table, and the lampstand of gold and its lamps to burn in the evening, for we are keeping the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12 And behold, with us at the head of God, and our priests, and the trumpets of the shout to sound against you, O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed. 13 And Jeroboam turned the ambush to come from behind them, and they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And Judah turned, and behold, the battle was in front and behind them, and they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets with the trumpets. 15 And a man of Judah shouted, and it was when the man of Judah shouted, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the sons of Israel fled from Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. 17 And they struck Abijah and his people with a great blow, and five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell. 18 And the sons of Israel were humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him the cities of Bethel and its villages, and Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages. 20 And the strength of Jeroboam did not stop anymore in the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him and he died. 21 And Abijah strengthened himself and took for himself fourteen wives, and he fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 And the rest of the words of Abijah and his ways and his words are written in the Midrash of the prophet Iddo.