2 Chronicles 13
Christian Standard Bible
Judah’s King Abijah
13 In the eighteenth year(A) of Israel’s King Jeroboam, Abijah[a] became king over Judah, 2 and he reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah[b](B) daughter of Uriel; she was from Gibeah.
There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah set his army of warriors in order with four hundred thousand fit young men. Jeroboam arranged his mighty army of eight hundred thousand fit young men in battle formation against him. 4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim,(C) which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, hear me. 5 Don’t you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever(D) by a covenant of salt?(E) 6 But Jeroboam son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord.(F) 7 Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young, inexperienced, and unable to assert himself against them.
8 “And now you are saying you can assert yourselves against the Lord’s kingdom, which is in the hand of one of David’s sons. You are a vast number and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.[c](G) 9 Didn’t you banish the priests of the Lord, the descendants of Aaron and the Levites, and make your own priests like the peoples of other lands do?(H) Whoever comes to ordain himself(I) with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest(J) of what are not gods.(K)
10 “But as for us, the Lord is our God. We have not abandoned him; the priests ministering to the Lord are descendants of Aaron, and the Levites serve at their tasks. 11 They offer a burnt offering and fragrant incense to the Lord every morning and every evening,(L) and they set the rows of the Bread of the Presence on the ceremonially clean table.(M) They light the lamps of the gold lampstand every evening. We are carrying out the requirements of the Lord our God, while you have abandoned him.(N) 12 Look, God and his priests are with us at our head. The trumpets are ready to sound the charge against you. Israelites, don’t fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”(O)
13 Now Jeroboam had sent an ambush(P) around to advance from behind them. So they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 Judah turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the Lord.(Q) Then the priests blew the trumpets, 15 and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.(R) 16 So the Israelites fled before Judah, and God handed them over to them.(S) 17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a mighty blow, and five hundred thousand fit young men of Israel were killed. 18 The Israelites were subdued at that time. The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some cities from him: Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron,[d] along with their surrounding villages. 20 Jeroboam no longer retained his power[e] during Abijah’s reign; ultimately, the Lord struck him(T) and he died.(U)
21 However, Abijah grew strong, acquired fourteen wives, and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, along with his ways and his sayings, are written in the Writing(V) of the Prophet Iddo.(W)
2 Chronicles 13
New American Standard Bible
Abijah Succeeds Rehoboam
13 (A)In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2 He reigned in Jerusalem for three years; and his mother’s name was [a]Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
(B)Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah began the battle with an army of warriors, four hundred thousand chosen men, while Jeroboam drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men who were valiant warriors.
Civil War
4 Then Abijah stood on Mount (C)Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Do you not know that (D)the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David [b]and his sons by (E)a covenant of salt? 6 Yet (F)Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his [c]master, 7 and worthless men gathered to him, wicked men, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when [d](G)he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.
8 “So now you intend to assert yourselves against the kingdom of the Lord [e]through the sons of David, [f]being a great multitude and having with you (H)the golden calves which Jeroboam made for you as gods. 9 (I)Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes (J)to consecrate himself with a bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of things that are (K)not gods. 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not abandoned Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the Lord as priests, and the Levites [g]attend to their work. 11 Every morning and evening (L)they [h]burn to the Lord burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and (M)the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we perform our duty to the Lord our God, but you have abandoned Him. 12 Now behold, God is with us at our head, and (N)His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the war cry against you. Sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
13 But Jeroboam (O)had set an ambush to come from behind, so that Israel was in front of Judah and the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah turned around, behold, [i]they were attacked both from front and rear; so (P)they cried out to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised the war cry, God [j](Q)defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 When the sons of Israel fled from Judah, (R)God handed them over to them. 17 Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18 The sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah [k]conquered (S)because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers. 19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured from him several cities, Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and [l]Ephron with its villages.
Death of Jeroboam
20 Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and the (T)Lord struck him and (U)he died.
21 But Abijah became powerful, and he took fourteen wives for himself, and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in (V)the [m]treatise of (W)Iddo the prophet.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 13:2 In 1 Kin 15:2, Maacah the daughter of Abishalom
- 2 Chronicles 13:5 Lit to him and to his sons
- 2 Chronicles 13:6 Or lord
- 2 Chronicles 13:7 Lit Rehoboam
- 2 Chronicles 13:8 Lit by the hand of
- 2 Chronicles 13:8 Lit and you are a
- 2 Chronicles 13:10 Lit in the work
- 2 Chronicles 13:11 Lit offer up in smoke
- 2 Chronicles 13:14 Lit the battle was in front and behind them
- 2 Chronicles 13:15 Lit struck
- 2 Chronicles 13:18 Lit were strong
- 2 Chronicles 13:19 Another reading is Ephrain
- 2 Chronicles 13:22 Heb midrash
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