1In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.2He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel from Gibeah, and there was warfare between his father and Jeroboam.3And Abijah bound the warfare with an army of mighty men of warfare—four hundred thousand chosen men. And Jeroboam arranged warfare with his people—eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty of might.4And Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and he said, "Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!"5Do you not know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom to David over Israel forever, to him and to his sons—a covenant of salt?6And Jeroboam son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, arose and rebelled against his lord.7Worthless men gathered against him, sons of Belial. And they strengthened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them.8And now you say to strengthen yourselves against the kingdom of the LORD that is in the hand of the sons of David. You are a great multitude, and with you are the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.9Haven't you driven out 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 bull—a son of cattle—and seven rams becomes a priest with no God.10And we are with the LORD our God, and we have not forsaken him. And there are priests serving the LORD—sons of Aaron—and Levites in the work.11And they offer incense to the LORD: burnt offerings morning by morning and evening by evening, and incense of spices, and an arrangement of bread upon the pure table, and the lampstand of gold and its lamps to burn evening by evening. For we are keeping the charge of the LORD our God, but you have abandoned him.12And behold, God is with the leaders of our people, and his priests with the trumpets of the shout are ready to shout over you, sons of Israel. Do not fight with the LORD God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.13Jeroboam set an ambush to come at them from behind, and they were in front of Judah, with the ambush behind them.14Judah turned, and there was the battle against them from front and back. And they cried out to the LORD, and the priests sounded the trumpets.15And the men of Judah shouted, and as the men of Judah shouted, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.16And the sons of Israel fled from before Judah, and God gave them into their hand.17And Abijah and his people struck them with a great blow, and slain men fell from Israel—five hundred thousand chosen men.18The sons of Israel were humbled at that time, and the sons of Judah were strengthened, for they had relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers.19And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him cities: Bethel and its daughters, and Jeshanah and its daughters, and Ephron and its daughters.20And Jeroboam did not retain his strength any longer in the days of Abijah, and the LORD struck him and he died.21And Abijah strengthened himself and took for himself fourteen women, and he fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.22And the rest of the words of Abijah and his ways and his words are written in the midrash of the prophet Iddo.23Abijah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.
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Chapter 14
1Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.