1   In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam's reign Abijah became king of Judah. 2   He reigned in Jerusalem for three years; his mother was Maacah ^note daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was fighting between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3   Abijah drew up his army of four hundred thousand picked troops in order of battle, while Jeroboam formed up against him with eight hundred thousand picked troops. 4   Abijah took up position on the slopes of Mount Zemaraim in the hill-country of Ephraim and called out, ‘Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5   Ought you not to know that the Lord the God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants in perpetuity by a covenant of salt? 6   Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon son of David, 7   rose in rebellion against his lord, and certain worthless scoundrels gathered round him, who stubbornly opposed Solomon's son Rehoboam when he was young and inexperienced, and he was no match for them. 8   Now you propose to match yourselves against the kingdom of the Lord as ruled by David's sons, you and your mob of supporters and the golden calves which Jeroboam has made to be your gods. 9   Have you not dismissed from office the Aaronites, priests of the Lord, and the Levites, and followed the practice of other lands in appointing priests? Now, if any man comes for consecration with an offering of a young bull and seven rams, you accept him as a priest to a god that is no god. 10   But as for us, the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him; we have Aaronites as priests ministering to the Lord with the Levites, duly discharging their office. ^noteMorning and evening, these burn whole-offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord and offer the Bread of the Presence arranged in rows on a table ritually clean; they also kindle the lamps on the golden lamp-stand every evening. Thus we do indeed keep the charge of the Lord our God, whereas you have forsaken him. 12   God is with us at our head, and his priests stand there with trumpets to signal the battle-cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight the Lord the God of your fathers; you will have no success.’

13   Jeroboam sent a detachment of his troops to go round and lay an ambush in the rear, so that his main body faced Judah while the ambush lay behind them. 14   The men of Judah turned to find that they were engaged front and rear. Then they cried to the Lord for help. 15   The priests sounded their trumpets, and the men of Judah raised a shout, and when they did so, God put Jeroboam and all Israel to rout

The kings from Rehoboam to Ahaz before Abijah and Judah. 16   The Israelites fled before the men of Judah, and God delivered them into their power. 17   So Abijah and his men defeated them with very heavy losses, and five hundred thousand picked Israelites fell in the battle. 18   After this, the Israelites were reduced to submission, and Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord the God of their fathers. 19   Abijah followed up his victory over Jeroboam and captured from him the cities of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, with their villages. 20   Jeroboam did not regain his power during the days of Abijah; finally the Lord struck him down and he died.

21   But Abijah established his position; he married fourteen wives and became the father of twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22   The other events of Abijah's reign, both what he said and what he did, are recorded in the story of the prophet Iddo.

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