2Ch 13 | AB | STEP | In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

2 Chronicles 13

1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army, with mighty men of war, even four hundred thousand mighty men. And Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand, they were mighty warriors of the army. 4 And Abijah rose up from Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Is it not for you to know that the Lord God of Israel has given a king over Israel forever to David, and to his sons, by a covenant of salt? 6 But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, has risen up, and has revolted from his master. 7 And there are gathered to him pestilent men, transgressors, and he has risen up against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, while Rehoboam was young and fearful in heart, and he withstood him not. 8 And now you profess to resist the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, and you are a great multitude, and with you are golden calves, which Jeroboam made you, as gods. 9 Did you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make for yourselves priests of the people of any other land? Whoever came to consecrate himself with a calf of the herd and seven rams, he then became a priest to that which is no god. 10 But we have not forsaken the Lord our God, and His priests, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, ministers unto the Lord; and in their daily courses 11 they sacrifice to the Lord whole burnt offerings, morning and evening, and compound incense, and set the showbread on the pure table; and there is the golden lampstand, and the lamps for burning, to light in the evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord God of our fathers; but you have forsaken Him. 12 And behold, the Lord and His priests are with us at our head, and the signal trumpets to sound an alarm over us. Children of Israel, fight not against the Lord God of our fathers; for you shall not prosper. 13 Now Jeroboam had caused an ambush to come round upon him from behind; and he himself was before Judah, and the ambush behind. 14 And Judah looked back, and behold, the battle was against them, ahead and behind. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. 15 And the men of Judah shouted. And it came to pass, when the men of Judah shouted, that the Lord struck Jeroboam and Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the children of Israel fled from before Judah; and the Lord delivered them into their hands. 17 And Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; and there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand mighty men. 18 So the children of Israel were brought low in that day, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they trusted on the Lord God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and he took from him the cities, Bethel and her towns, and Jeshanah and her towns, and Ephron and her towns. 20 And Jeroboam did not recover strength again all the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him, and he died. 21 But Abijah strengthened himself, and took to himself fourteen wives, and he begot twenty-two sons, and sixteen daughters. 22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his deeds, and his sayings, are written in the book of the prophet Iddo.