VIN(i)
1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.
2 He was king in Jerusalem for three years; his mother's name was Maacah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 And Abijah made a battle with an Host of fighting men of four hundred thousand chosen men. And Jeroboam put in array to fight against him, with eight hundred thousand picked men and strong.
4 Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel:
5 Don't you know that the LORD God of Israel assigned the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever by a salt covenant?
6 But Jeroboam the son of Nebat the servant of Solomon the son of David, rebelled against his lord.
7 "Later he organized a group of worthless scoundrels. They forced their will on Rehoboam son of Solomon, who was too young and inexperienced to resist them.
8 "Now you plan to fight against the royal authority the LORD gave to David's descendants. You have a huge army! You have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods.
9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made you priests as the peoples of the lands? whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, he becomes a priest of what is not God.
10 As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; yea, priests are serving the LORD, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, in the work,
11 and they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the showbread in order on the pure table; and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening. We keep the instruction of the LORD our God; but you have forsaken Him.
12 "God is with us as our leader. His priests will sound their trumpets to call the army to fight you. Men of Israel do not wage war against the LORD the God of your ancestors. You will not succeed."
13 Then Jeroboam sent around an ambush to come behind them. So they were in front of Judah, but the ambush was behind them.
14 When the army of Judah turned around to look, they were being attacked from both front and rear, so they cried out to the LORD while the priests sounded their trumpets.
15 and the men of Judah gave a shout. And as the men of Judah shouted, God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16 And the Israelites fled before Juda, and the Lord delivered them into their hands,
17 Abijah and his men defeated them decisively. Five hundred thousand of the best men of Israel were killed.
18 And the sons of Israel were humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah won because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages.
20 And Jeroboam did not regain power any more in Abijah's days. And the LORD struck him, and he died.
21 Abijah became strong. He married fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.