2 Chronicles 13

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah	1 In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam, Abijah reigned 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 for three years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel, from 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 when Abijah had undertaken the conflict, and he had with him four hundred thousand elect men, very fit for war, Jeroboam set up a battle line opposite him of eight hundred thousand men, who were also elect and very strong in warfare.
4 Abijah took position on Mount Zemaraim, in the highlands of Ephraim. 'Jeroboam and al Israel,' hecried, 'listen to me!	4 Then Abijah stood upon mount Zemaraim, which was in Ephraim, and he said: “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all of 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 Are you ignorant that the Lord, the God of Israel, gave David the kingship over Israel for all time, 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 But Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, the servant of Solomon, son of David, rose up and 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 were gathered to him very vain men, and sons of Belial. And they prevailed against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. For Rehoboam was inexperienced, and he had a fearful heart, and so he was unable to resist 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 Now therefore, you say that you are able to resist the kingdom of the Lord, which he possesses through the sons of David, and you have a great multitude of people, and gold calves, which Jeroboam made for you as 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 And you have cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, as well as the Levites. And like all the peoples of the lands, you have made priests for yourselves. Anyone who is willing to come and perform the ritual by his hand, with a bull from the herd and with seven rams, is made a priest of those who are not 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 the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. And the priests who minister to the Lord are from the sons of Aaron. And the Levites are in their proper order.
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 Also, they offer holocausts to the Lord, each and every day, morning and evening, and incense composed according to the precept of the law, and the bread of the presence on a very pure table. And there is with us the gold lampstand with its lamps, so that they may burn continually in the evening. For certainly, we keep the precepts of the Lord our God, whom you have forsaken.
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 Therefore, God is the commander of our army, with his priests, who sound the trumpets that ring out against you. O sons of Israel, do not choose to fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers. For it is not expedient for you.”
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 While he was speaking these things, Jeroboam set in motion an ambush behind them. And while they stood facing the enemy, without Judah realizing it, his army circled around.
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 looking back, Judah saw the war threatening in front and behind, and they cried out to the Lord. And the priests began to sound 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 And all the men of Judah shouted out. And behold, when they cried out, God terrified Jeroboam, and all of Israel who were standing in opposition to Abijah and Judah.
16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, because God had given Judah the upper hand,	16 And the sons of Israel fled from Judah, and the Lord 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 Therefore, Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter. And five hundred thousand strong men of Israel fell wounded.
18 So the Israelites were humbled on that occasion, while the Judaeans won, since they had relied onYahweh, God of their ancestors.	18 And the sons of Israel were humiliated at that time. And the sons of Judah were very greatly strengthened, because they had trusted in the Lord, the 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 Then Abijah pursued the fleeing Jeroboam. And he seized cities from him: Bethel and her daughters, and Jeshanah with her daughters, and also Ephron and her daughters.
20 nor did Jeroboam regain strength during Abijah's lifetime. Eventual y Yahweh struck him and he died,	20 And Jeroboam no longer had the strength to resist, 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 And so Abijah, having been strengthened in his authority, took fourteen wives. And he procreated twenty-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 Now the rest of the words of Abijah, and his ways and works, have been written very diligently in the book of Iddo, the prophet.
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.