1In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah . 2Three years reigned he in Jerusalem : and his mother’s name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah . And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam . 3And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war , even four hundred thousand chosen men : and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men , who were mighty men of valor . 4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim , which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said , Hear me , O Jeroboam and all Israel : 5Ought ye not to know that Jehovah , the God of Israel , gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever , even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt ?
Abijah's Speech to Israel
6Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat , the servant of Solomon the son of David , rose up , and rebelled against his lord. 7And there were gathered unto him worthless men , base fellows , that strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon , when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them . 8And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of Jehovah in the hand of the sons of David ; and ye are a great multitude , and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods. 9Have ye not driven out the priests of Jehovah , the sons of Aaron, and the Levites , and made you priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods. 10But as for us , Jehovah is our God , and we have not forsaken him ; and we have priests ministering unto Jehovah , the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work : 11and they burn unto Jehovah every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense : the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table ; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening : for we keep the charge of Jehovah our God ; but ye have forsaken him . 12And , behold , God is with us at our head , and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you . O children of Israel , fight ye not against Jehovah , the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper .
The Battle Between Judah and Israel
13But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them : so they were before Judah , and the ambushment was behind them . 14And when Judah looked back , behold , the battle was before and behind them ; and they cried unto Jehovah , and the priests sounded with the trumpets . 15Then the men of Judah gave a shout : and as the men of Judah shouted , it came to pass , that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah . 16And the children of Israel fled before Judah ; and God delivered them into their hand . 17And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter : so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men . 18Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time , and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon Jehovah , the God of their fathers. 19And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam , and took cities from him , Beth-el with the towns thereof , and Jeshanah with the towns thereof , and Ephron with the towns thereof .
The Outcome of the Battle
20Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and Jehovah smote him , and he died . 21But Abijah waxed mighty , and took unto himself fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons , and sixteen daughters . 22And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways , and his sayings , are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo .