Abijah Reigns in Judah
In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah.
Three years he reigned in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel, from Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
And Abijah joined the battle with a force of mighty men of war — four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam arrayed battle against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, mighty men of valor.
Civil War against Jeroboam
And Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said: “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel!
Is it not for you to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David forever — to him and to his sons, a covenant of salt?
But Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose and rebelled against his lord.
And worthless men gathered to him, sons of ruin, and they held strong against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and soft of heart, and did not hold strong before them.
And now you say you will hold strong before the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David — and you are a great multitude, and with you are the calves of gold that Jeroboam made you for gods.
Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made yourselves priests like the peoples of the lands? Whoever comes to fill his hand with a young bull and seven rams becomes a priest of no-gods.
But as for us — the LORD is our God, and we have not abandoned him; and priests minister to the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites are in the work.
And they burn to the LORD burnt offerings morning by morning and evening by evening, and incense of spices; and the arrangement of bread is on the pure table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps, to burn evening by evening. For we keep the charge of the LORD our God — but you have abandoned him.
And look — with us, at the head, is God, and his priests, and the trumpets of the alarm, to sound against you. Sons of Israel — do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed!”
But Jeroboam had brought the ambush around to come at them from behind; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
And Judah turned — and look, the battle was against them front and rear. And they cried out to the LORD, and the priests were sounding the trumpets.
And the men of Judah raised the shout; and it was, as the men of Judah shouted, that God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
And the sons of Israel fled before Judah; and God gave them into their hand.
And Abijah and his people struck them down with a great blow; and there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
And the sons of Israel were subdued at that time; and the sons of Judah grew strong — because they leaned on the LORD, the God of their fathers.
And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and captured cities from him: Bethel and its daughter-towns, and Jeshanah and its daughter-towns, and Ephron and its daughter-towns.
And Jeroboam did not retain strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him, and he died.
But Abijah grew strong; and he took himself fourteen wives, and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words, are written in the exposition of the prophet Iddo.