Abijah’s War with Jeroboam

13 Abijah began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel.

¹⁶ When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.

Abijam Rules in Judah

15 Abijam^[a] began to rule over Judah in the eighteenth year of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel. ² He reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother was Maacah, the granddaughter of Absalom.^[b]

³ He committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been. ⁴ But for David’s sake, the Lord his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son to rule after him in Jerusalem. ⁵ For David had done what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and had obeyed the Lord’s commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite.

⁶ There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam^[c] throughout Abijam’s reign. ⁷ The rest of the events in Abijam’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah. There was constant war between Abijam and Jeroboam. ⁸ When Abijam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king.