2 Chronicles 13
English Standard Version
Abijah Reigns in Judah
13 (A)In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, (B)Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was (C)Micaiah[a] the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
(D)Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam (E)drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. 4 Then Abijah stood up on Mount (F)Zemaraim that is in (G)the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel (H)gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by (I)a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up (J)and rebelled against his lord, 7 and certain (K)worthless scoundrels[b] gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was (L)young and irresolute[c] and could not withstand them.
8 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you (M)the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 (N)Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes (O)for ordination[d] with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are (P)not gods. 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. 11 They offer to the Lord (Q)every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out (R)the showbread on the table of pure gold, (S)and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may (T)burn every evening. For we (U)keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests (V)with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, (W)do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”
13 Jeroboam had sent (X)an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops[e] were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. (Y)And they cried to the Lord, and the priests (Z)blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, (AA)God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The men of Israel fled before Judah, (AB)and God gave them into their hand. 17 Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. 18 Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, (AC)because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam (AD)and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and (AE)Ephron[f] with its villages. 20 Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. (AF)And the Lord struck him down, (AG)and he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the (AH)story of the prophet (AI)Iddo.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 13:2 Spelled Maacah in 1 Kings 15:2
- 2 Chronicles 13:7 Hebrew worthless men, sons of Belial
- 2 Chronicles 13:7 Hebrew soft of heart
- 2 Chronicles 13:9 Hebrew to fill his hand
- 2 Chronicles 13:13 Hebrew they
- 2 Chronicles 13:19 Or Ephrain
Isaiah 43
English Standard Version
Israel's Only Savior
43 But now thus says the Lord,
(A)he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
(B)“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
(C)I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 (D)When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
(E)when you walk through fire (F)you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For (G)I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
(H)I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and (I)Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 (J)Fear not, for I am with you;
(K)I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring (L)my sons from afar
and (M)my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
8 Bring out (N)the people who are blind, yet have eyes,
who are deaf, yet have ears!
9 (O)All the nations gather together,
and the peoples assemble.
Who among them can declare this,
and show us the former things?
Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right,
and let them hear and say, It is true.
10 (P)“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and (Q)my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
(R)Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
11 (S)I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.
12 I declared and saved and proclaimed,
when there was no strange god among you;
and (T)you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.
13 Also (U)henceforth I am he;
there is none who can deliver from my hand;
I work, and who can turn it back?”
14 Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
(V)“For your sake I send to Babylon
and (W)bring them all down as fugitives,
(X)even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord,
(Y)who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17 who (Z)brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
(AA)they are extinguished, (AB)quenched like a wick:
18 (AC)“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19 (AD)Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
(AE)I will make a way in the wilderness
(AF)and rivers in the desert.
20 The wild beasts will honor me,
(AG)the jackals and the ostriches,
(AH)for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself
(AI)that they might declare my praise.
22 “Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but (AJ)you have been weary of me, O Israel!
23 (AK)You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
(AL)or wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 “I, I am he
(AM)who blots out (AN)your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance; (AO)let us argue together;
set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
27 (AP)Your first father sinned,
and (AQ)your mediators transgressed against me.
28 Therefore (AR)I will profane the princes of the sanctuary,
and (AS)deliver Jacob to utter destruction
and Israel to reviling.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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