2 Chronicles 13
GOD’S WORD Translation
King Abijah’s War with King Jeroboam(A)
13 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah began to rule Judah. 2 He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother was named Micaiah, daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.
There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 Abijah prepared for battle with an army of 400,000 of the best soldiers, while Jeroboam arranged to oppose him with 800,000 of the best professional soldiers.
4 Then Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim in the mountains of Ephraim. He called out, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! 5 Don’t you know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants forever in a permanent promise? [a] 6 But Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) rebelled against his master. He had been the servant of David’s son Solomon. 7 Worthless, good-for-nothing men gathered around him. They opposed Rehoboam, son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was too young and inexperienced to challenge them. 8 Do you now intend to challenge the Lord’s kingdom, which has been placed in the hands of David’s descendants? You are a large crowd, and you have the gold calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. 9 You forced out the Lord’s priests who were Aaron’s descendants, and you forced out the Levites so that you could appoint your own priests, as the people in foreign countries do. Anyone who has a young bull and seven rams can be ordained as a priest of nonexistent gods.
10 “However, the Lord is our God. We haven’t abandoned him. The priests who serve the Lord are Aaron’s descendants, and the Levites assist them. 11 They sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord every morning and every evening. They offer sweet-smelling incense and rows of bread on the clean [b] table. The lamps on the gold lamp stand burn every evening. We’re following the instructions the Lord our God gave us, but you have abandoned him. 12 God is with us as our leader. His priests will sound their trumpets to call ⌞the army⌟ to fight you. Men of Israel, don’t wage war against the Lord God of your ancestors. You won’t succeed.”
13 But Jeroboam had set an ambush to attack them from behind. So Jeroboam’s army was in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah’s soldiers looked around, the battle was in front of them and behind them. They cried out to the Lord, the priests blew the trumpets, 15 and the men of Judah shouted. When they shouted, God attacked Jeroboam and all Israel in front of Abijah and Judah. 16 The Israelites fled from Judah’s ⌞army⌟, and God handed them over to Judah. 17 So Abijah and his men defeated them decisively, and 500,000 of the best men of Israel were killed. 18 So the Israelites were humbled at that time, and the men of Judah won because they trusted the Lord God of their ancestors. 19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured some of his cities: Bethel and its villages, Jeshanah and its villages, and Ephron and its villages.
20 Jeroboam never regained power during Abijah’s time. The Lord caused Jeroboam to become sick, and Jeroboam died.
21 But Abijah became strong. He married 14 wives and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters.
22 Everything else about Abijah—how he lived and what he said—is written in the history by the prophet Iddo.
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
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
2 Chronicles 13
Tree of Life Version
Abijah’s Bold Speech
13 In the 18 th year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Micaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.
There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went into battle with an army of valiant warriors, 400,000 chosen men, while Jeroboam arranged for battle against him 800,000 chosen men, mighty warriors.
4 Abijah stood on top of Mount Zemaraim, which is a hill of Ephraim, and said, “Listen to me Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Don’t you know that Adonai, God of Israel, has given kingship over Israel to David forever—to him and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master. 7 Riffraff and scoundrels gathered around him and pressed hard on Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not stand up to them.
8 “So now, do you intend to oppose the kingdom of Adonai, which is in the hand of David’s descendants? Are you indeed a great multitude—and with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods? 9 Have you not banished the kohanim of Adonai, the sons of Aaron, as well as the Levites, and then appointed your own priests—just as the peoples of the lands do? Can whoever comes to consecrate himself with a bull from a young cow and seven rams become a priest—for gods of nothing?
10 “But as for us, Adonai is our God! And we have not forsaken Him. We have the sons of Aaron ministering as kohanim to Adonai and the Levites in their work. 11 Every morning and evening they burn to Adonai burnt offerings and sweet incense. They set the rows of bread on the pure table and they light the golden menorah with its lamps burning every evening—for we keep the service of Adonai Eloheinu—but you have forsaken Him. 12 So look, God is with us at our head, and His kohanim with the signal trumpets to sound an alarm against you. O men of Israel, do not fight against Adonai, the God of your fathers—for you will not succeed!”
13 But Jeroboam had commanded the ambush to go around and come from the rear. So while they were in front of Judah, the ambush was behind them. 14 When Judah turned around, behold, the battle was before and behind them. They cried out to Adonai and the kohanim blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised a battle cry, and as the men of Judah shouted, God struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 Then men of Israel fled before Judah and God delivered them into their hand. 17 So Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, and 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain. 18 Thus men of Israel were subdued at that time, while the children of Judah prevailed—because they relied upon Adonai, the God of their fathers.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured towns from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages. 20 Jeroboam could not muster strength again in the days of Abijah. Finally Adonai struck him and he died.
21 But Abijah grew powerful and took to himself 14 wives and fathered 22 sons and 16 daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the chronicles of the prophet Iddo. 23 Then Abijah slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. His son Asa became king in his place. During his days the land was untroubled for ten years.
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