Dual Panel1In the eighteenth <06240> <08083> year <08141> of the reign of King <04428> Jeroboam <03379>, Abijah <029> became king <04427> over <05921> Judah <03063>.
2He ruled <04427> for three <07969> years <08141> in Jerusalem <03389>. His mother <0517> was Michaiah <04322>, the daughter <01323> of Uriel <0222> from <04480> Gibeah <01390>. There was <01961> war <04421> between <0996> <0996> Abijah <029> and Jeroboam <03379>.
3Abijah <029> launched <0631> the attack <04421> <04421> with <05973> 400,000 <0505> <03967> <0702> well-trained <0970> <0376> warriors <01368> <02428>, while Jeroboam <03379> deployed <06186> against him 800,000 <0505> <03967> <08083> well-trained <0970> <0376> warriors <02428> <01368>.
4Abijah <029> ascended <06965> Mount <02022> Zemaraim <06787>, in <05921> the Ephraimite <0669> hill country <02022>, and said <0559>: “Listen <08085> to me, Jeroboam <03379> and all <03605> Israel <03478>!
5Don’t <03808> you realize <03045> that <03588> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> has given <05414> David <01732> and his dynasty <01121> lasting <05769> dominion <04467> over <05921> Israel <03478> by a formal <04417> agreement <01285>?
6Jeroboam <03379> son <01121> of Nebat <05028>, a servant <05650> of Solomon <08010> son <01121> of David <01732>, rose up <06965> and rebelled <04775> against <05921> his master <0113>.
7Lawless <07386> good-for-nothing <01100> <01121> men <0582> gathered around <06908> him and conspired <0553> against <05921> Rehoboam <07346> son <01121> of Solomon <08010>, when Rehoboam <07346> was <01961> an inexperienced <03824> <07390> young man <05288> and could not <03808> resist <02388> them.
8Now <06258> you <0859> are declaring <0559> that you will resist <02388> the Lord’s <03068> rule <04467> through <03027> the Davidic <01732> dynasty <01121>. You <0859> have a huge <07227> army <01995>, and bring with <05973> you the gold <02091> calves <05695> that <0834> Jeroboam <03379> made <06213> for you as gods <0430>.
9But you banished <05080> the Lord’s <03068> priests <03548>, Aaron’s <0175> descendants <01121>, and the Levites <03881>, and appointed <06213> your own priests <03548> just as the surrounding <0776> nations <05971> do! Anyone <03605> who comes <0935> to consecrate <03027> <04390> himself with a young <01241> <01121> bull <06499> or seven <07651> rams <0352> becomes <01961> a priest <03548> of these fake <03808> gods <0430>!
10But as for us <0587>, the Lord <03068> is our God <0430> and we have not <03808> rejected <05800> him. Aaron’s <0175> descendants <01121> serve <08334> as the Lord’s <03068> priests <03548> and the Levites <03881> assist them with the work <04399>.
11They offer <06999> burnt sacrifices <05930> to the Lord <03068> every morning <01242> <01242> and every evening <06153> <06153>, along with fragrant <05561> incense <07004>. They arrange the Bread <03899> of the Presence <04635> on <05921> a ritually clean <02889> table <07979> and light <01197> the lamps <05216> on the gold <02091> lampstand <04501> every evening <06153> <06153>. Certainly <03588> we <0587> are observing <08104> the Lord <03068> our God’s <0430> regulations <04931>, but you <0859> have rejected <05800> him.
12Now look <02009>, God <0430> is with <05973> us as our leader <07218>. His priests <03548> are ready to blow <08643> the trumpets <02689> to signal the attack <07321> against <05921> you. You Israelites <03478> <01121>, don’t <0408> fight <03898> against <05973> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of your ancestors <01>, for <03588> you will not <03808> win <06743>!”
13Now Jeroboam <03379> had sent <0935> some men to ambush <03993> the Judahite army from behind <0310>. The main army was <01961> in front <06440> of the Judahite <03063> army; the ambushers <03993> were behind <0310> it.
14The men of Judah <03063> turned <06437> around and realized <02009> they were being attacked <04421> from the front <06440> and the rear <0268>. So they cried out <06817> for help to the Lord <03068>. The priests <03548> blew <02690> their trumpets <02689>,
15and the men <0376> of Judah <03063> gave the battle <07321> cry <07321>. As the men <0376> of Judah <03063> gave <07321> the battle cry <07321>, the Lord struck <05062> down Jeroboam <03379> and all <03605> Israel <03478> before <06440> Abijah <029> and Judah <03063>.
16The Israelites <03478> <01121> fled <05127> from before <06440> the Judahite <03063> army, and God <0430> handed <03027> <05414> them over <03027> <05414> to the men of Judah.
17Abijah <029> and his army <05971> thoroughly <04347> defeated <05221> them; 500,000 <0505> <03967> <02568> well-trained <0970> Israelite <03478> men <0376> fell <05307> dead <02491>.
18That day <06256> the Israelites <03478> <01121> were defeated <03665>; the men <01121> of Judah <03063> prevailed <0553> because <03588> they relied <08172> on <05921> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of their ancestors <01>.
19Abijah <029> chased <07291> Jeroboam <03379>; he seized <03920> from <04480> him these cities <05892>: Bethel <01008> and its surrounding towns <01323>, Jeshanah <03466> and its surrounding towns <01323>, and Ephron <06085> and its surrounding towns <01323>.
20Jeroboam <03379> did not <03808> regain <03581> power during <03117> <05750> the reign of Abijah <029>. The Lord <03068> struck <05062> him down and he died <04191>.
21Abijah’s <029> power <02388> grew <05375>; he had fourteen <06240> <0702> wives <0802> and fathered <03205> twenty-two <08147> <06242> sons <01121> and sixteen <06240> <08337> daughters <01323>.
22The rest <03499> of the events of Abijah’s <029> reign, including his deeds <01870> and sayings <01697> <01697>, are recorded <03789> in the writings <04097> of the prophet <05030> Iddo <05714>.