Dual Panel1In the eighteenth<8083><6240> year<8141> of King<4428> Jeroboam<3379>, Abijah<29> became<4427> king<4427> over<5921> Judah<3063>.
2He reigned<4427> three<7969> years<8141> in Jerusalem<3389>; and his mother's<517> name<8034> was Micaiah<4322> the daughter<1323> of Uriel<222> of Gibeah<1390>. Now there was war<4421> between<996> Abijah<29> and Jeroboam<3379>.
3Abijah<29> began<631> the battle<4421> with an army<2428> of valiant<1368> warriors<1368>, 400,000 <702><3967><505> chosen<977> men<376>, while Jeroboam<3379> drew<6186> up in battle<4421> formation<6186> against<5973> him with 800,000 <8083><3967><505> chosen<977> men<376> who were valiant<2428> warriors<1368>.
4Then Abijah<29> stood<6965> on Mount<2022> Zemaraim<6787>, which<834> is in the hill<2022> country<2022> of Ephraim<669>, and said<559>, "Listen<8085> to me, Jeroboam<3379> and all<3605> Israel<3478>:
5"Do you not know<3045> that the LORD<3068> God<430> of Israel<3478> gave<5414> the rule<4467> over<5921> Israel<3478> forever<5769> to David<1732> and his sons<1121> by a covenant<1285> of salt<4417>?
6"Yet Jeroboam<3379> the son<1121> of Nebat<5028>, the servant<5650> of Solomon<8010> the son<1121> of David<1732>, rose<6965> up and rebelled<4775> against<5921> his master<113>,
7and worthless<7386> men<376> gathered<6908> about<5921> him, scoundrels<1121><1100>, who proved<553> too<5921> strong<553> for Rehoboam<7346>, the son<1121> of Solomon<8010>, when he was young<5288> and timid<7390><3824> and could not hold<2388> his own<2388> against<6440> them.
8"So now<6258> you intend<559> to resist<2388> the kingdom<4467> of the LORD<3068> through<3027> the sons<1121> of David<1732>, being a great<7227> multitude<1995> and having with you the golden<2091> calves<5695> which<834> Jeroboam<3379> made<6213> for gods<430> for you.
9"Have you not driven<5080> out the priests<3548> of the LORD<3068>, the sons<1121> of Aaron<175> and the Levites<3881>, and made<6213> for yourselves priests<3548> like the peoples<5971> of other lands<776>? Whoever<3605> comes<935> to consecrate<4390><3027> himself<3027> with a young<1121> bull<6499> and seven<7651> rams<352>, even he may become<1961> a priest<3548> of what are no<3808> gods<430>.
10"But as for us, the LORD<3068> is our God<430>, and we have not forsaken<5800> Him; and the sons<1121> of Aaron<175> are ministering<8334> to the LORD<3068> as priests<3548>, and the Levites<3881> attend to their work<4399>.
11"Every<1242> morning<1242> and evening<6153> they burn<6999> to the LORD<3068> burnt<5930> offerings<5930> and fragrant<5561> incense<7004>, and the showbread<3899><4635> is set on the clean<2889> table<7979>, and the golden<2091> lampstand<4501> with its lamps<5216> is ready to light<1197> every<6153> evening<6153>; for we keep<8104> the charge<4931> of the LORD<3068> our God<430>, but you have forsaken<5800> Him.
12"Now behold<2009>, God<430> is with us at our head<7218> and His priests<3548> with the signal<8643> trumpets<2689> to sound<7321> the alarm<7321> against<5921> you. O sons<1121> of Israel<3478>, do not fight<3898> against<5973> the LORD<3068> God<430> of your fathers<1>, for you will not succeed<6743>."
13But Jeroboam<3379> had set<5437> an ambush<3993> to come<935> from the rear<310>, so that Israel was in front<6440> of Judah<3063> and the ambush<3993> was behind<4480><310> them.
14When Judah<3063> turned<6437> around<6437>, behold<2009>, they were attacked<4421> both front<6440> and rear<268>; so they cried<6817> to the LORD<3068>, and the priests<3548> blew<2690> the trumpets<2689>.
15Then the men<376> of Judah<3063> raised<7321> a war cry<7321>, and when the men<376> of Judah<3063> raised<7321> the war cry<7321>, then it was that God<430> routed<5062> Jeroboam<3379> and all<3605> Israel<3478> before<6440> Abijah<29> and Judah<3063>.
16When the sons<1121> of Israel<3478> fled<5127> before<4480><6440> Judah<3063>, God<430> gave<5414> them into their hand<3027>.
17Abijah<29> and his people<5971> defeated<5221> them with a great<7227> slaughter<4347>, so that 500,000 <2568><3967><505> chosen<977> men<376> of Israel<3478> fell<5307> slain<2491>.
18Thus the sons<1121> of Israel<3478> were subdued<3665> at that time<6256>, and the sons<1121> of Judah<3063> conquered<553> because<3588> they trusted<8172> in the LORD<3068>, the God<430> of their fathers<1>.
19Abijah<29> pursued<7291> Jeroboam<3379> and captured<3920> from him several cities<5892>, Bethel<1008> with its villages<1323>, Jeshanah<3466> with its villages<1323> and Ephron<6085> with its villages<1323>.
20Jeroboam<3379> did not again<5750> recover<6113> strength<3581> in the days<3117> of Abijah<29>; and the LORD<3068> struck<5062> him and he died<4191>.
21But Abijah<29> became<2388> powerful<2388>; and took<5375> fourteen<702><6240> wives<802> to himself, and became<3205> the father<3205> of twenty-two<6242><8147> sons<1121> and sixteen<8337><6240> daughters<1323>.
22Now the rest<3499> of the acts<1697> of Abijah<29>, and his ways<1870> and his words<1697> are written<3789> in the treatise<4097> of the prophet<5030> Iddo<5714>.