2 *Chronicles 13

₁Abijah became king of Jerusalem in the 18th year after Jeroboam had become king_of_Israel. ₂Abijah was king of Jerusalem for 3 years. His mother's name was Maakah, daughter of Uriel, from the town of Gibeah. There was war_between Abijah and King Jeroboam of Israel.

₃Abijah chose 400 000 men and he attacked the people of Israel with his army. They were men who knew how to fight in a war. Jeroboam was waiting for him with 800 000 men. They were also his best men, men who knew how to make war. ₄Abijah and his army were next to Mount Zemaraim in the Ephraim mountains and he said to Jeroboam: ‘Jeroboam and all the men of Israel, listen to what I say. ₅You know that the Lord God of Israel promised David and his descendants that one of them would always be king_of_Israel. He made a covenant with David and He said He would never break it. ₆But Jeroboam, son of Nebat and servant of Solomon, son of David, rebelled_against his king. ₇A lot of people who were good for nothing came together with him and they were too strong for Rehoboam, son of Solomon. Rehoboam was young and weak and he could not defeat them. ₈And now you think that you are strong enough to fight against the people of the Lord, the people of the land that He gave to David and his sons to rule. Your army is big, but the only gods you have are those golden images of bull calves that Jeroboam made for you. ₉You have chased away the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and you have chosen priests for yourselves like the Gentile people of other lands do. Anyone who could give a young bull and 7 rams to purify himself, was made a priest to serve gods that are not gods.

₁₀But we have not done the same as you. The Lord is our God. We did not leave Him. Only the descendants of Aaron serve the Lord, only they are priests and the Levites alone may help them to do their work. ₁₁The priests sacrifice burnt-offerings and incense that smells good every morning and every evening. They put the sacrificial bread on a pure table and they see that the lamps of the golden lamp-stands are burning every night because we do what we have to do for the Lord our God. But you have left Him. ₁₂God is with us, and He is our leader. His priests have the trumpets that they will blow when we start to fight against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your forefathers. You can not win against Him.’

₁₃Jeroboam sent some of his men to hide behind the men of Judah and his other men were in front of them. ₁₄When the men of Judah turned_around, they saw that Jeroboam's men were in front of them and behind them. They prayed to the Lord and asked Him to help them and the priests blew the trumpets. ₁₅The men of Judah shouted_loudly to start the war and when they did that, God defeated Jeroboam and all the men of Israel. The men of Israel lost the war_against Abijah and Judah. ₁₆The men of Israel ran away before the men of Judah because God helped the men from Judah defeat them. ₁₇Abijah and his men defeated the men of Israel and they killed a lot of their soldiers. 500 000 men of Israel died in the war. ₁₈This is how the men of Israel lost that war. The men of Judah defeated them because they believed that the Lord, the God of their forefathers, would help them. ₁₉Abijah chased the people of Jeroboam and he took a few towns from Jeroboam. He took the town of Bethel and its villages, and Jeshanah and Ephron and their villages.

₂₀Jeroboam's army did not become big and strong again while Abijah was king_of_Judah. The Lord made Jeroboam sick and he died. ₂₁But Abijah's army became bigger and stronger. Abijah had 14 wives and he was the father of 22 sons and 16 daughters.

₂₂The other things that Abijah did, how he lived and what he said, are written in the history book of the prophet Iddo.