The Second Book of Chronicles (WEB)
13: 1In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 13:2Three years
reigned he in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 13:3Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men
of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him
with eight hundred thousand chosen men, who were mighty men of valor. 13:4Abijah stood up on
Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all
Israel: 13:5Ought you not to know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to
David forever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 13:6Yet Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. 13:7There
were gathered to him worthless men, base fellows, who strengthened themselves against
Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not
withstand them. 13:8Now you think to withstand the kingdom of Yahweh in the hand of the sons of
David; and you are a great multitude, and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam
made you for gods. 13:9Haven't you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the
Levites, and made you priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so that whoever
comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, the same may be a priest of those
who are no gods. 13:10But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and we
have priests ministering to Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work: 13:11and they
burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense: the show
bread also set they in order on the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with the lamps of it, to
burn every evening: for we keep the charge of Yahweh our God; but you have forsaken him.
13:12Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an
alarm against you. Children of Israel, don't you fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for
you shall not prosper. 13:13But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they
were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 13:14When Judah looked back, behold, the
battle was before and behind them; and they cried to Yahweh, and the priests sounded with the
trumpets. 13:15Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened,
that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 13:16The children of Israel fled
before Judah; and God delivered them into their hand. 13:17Abijah and his people killed them with a
great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. 13:18Thus the
children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because
they relied on Yahweh, the God of their fathers. 13:19Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities
from him, Bethel with the towns of it, and Jeshanah with the towns of it, and Ephron with the
towns of it. 13:20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Yahweh
struck him, and he died. 13:21But Abijah grew mighty, and took to himself fourteen wives, and
became the father of twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters. 13:22The rest of the acts of Abijah, and
his ways, and his sayings, are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.
World English Bible