2 Chronicles 13

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah	1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.
2 and reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.When war broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam,	2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 Abijah took the field with an army of four hundred thousand picked warriors, while Jeroboam took thefield against him with eight hundred thousand picked warriors.	3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.
4 Abijah took position on Mount Zemaraim, in the highlands of Ephraim. 'Jeroboam and al Israel,' hecried, 'listen to me!	4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;
5 Do you not know that Yahweh, God of Israel, has given eternal sovereignty of Israel to David and hissons by an inviolable covenant?	5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?
6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, the slave of Solomon son of David, rose in revolt against his master.	6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.
7 Worthless men, scoundrels, ral ied to him, proving too strong for Rehoboam son of Solomon, asRehoboam was then inexperienced and timid and unable to resist them.	7 And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
8 And now you propose to resist Yahweh's sovereignty as exercised by the sons of David becausethere is a great number of you and you have the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods!	8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
9 Have you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, to make priests ofyour own like the peoples of foreign countries? Anyone who comes with a bul and seven rams to get himselfconsecrated can become priest of these gods that are no gods.	9 Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations 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.
10 But for our part, our God is Yahweh, and we have not abandoned him; our priests are sons of Aaronwho minister to Yahweh, and those who serve are Levites;	10 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:
11 morning after morning, evening after evening, they present burnt offerings and perfumed incense toYahweh, they put the bread of permanent offering on the clean table and nightly light the lamps on the goldenlamp-stand; for we keep the decree of Yahweh our God, although you have abandoned him.	11 And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread 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 the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.
12 See how God is with us, at our head, and his priests with trumpets to sound the alarm against you!Israelites, do not make war on Yahweh, God of your ancestors, for you wil not succeed.'	12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
13 Now Jeroboam had sent a party round to ambush them from the rear; thus the main force confrontedJudah and the ambush lay to their rear.	13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.
14 And when Judah looked round, they found themselves being attacked from front and rear. Theycal ed on Yahweh, the priests sounded the trumpets,	14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.
15 and the men of Judah raised the war cry and, as they raised the cry, God routed Jeroboam and allIsrael before Abijah and Judah.	15 Then 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.
16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, because God had given Judah the upper hand,	16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.
17 and Abijah and his army inflicted a great slaughter on them: five hundred thousand of Israel's pickedmen fel , kil ed.	17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 So the Israelites were humbled on that occasion, while the Judaeans won, since they had relied onYahweh, God of their ancestors.	18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam, taking from him the towns of Bethel with its dependencies, Jeshanah withits dependencies and Ephron with its dependencies,	19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshnah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.
20 nor did Jeroboam regain strength during Abijah's lifetime. Eventual y Yahweh struck him and he died,	20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.
21 but Abijah grew stronger than ever; he married fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons andsixteen daughters.	21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.
22 The rest of the history of Abijah, his conduct and his sayings, are recorded in the midrash of theprophet Iddo.	22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
23 When Abijah fel asleep with his ancestors, he was buried in the City of David; his son Asasucceeded him. In his time the country was at peace for ten years.