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Abijam Reigns over Judah: Idolatry and War

15 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijam began to reign over Judah.(A) He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. He committed all the sins that his father did before him; his heart was not true to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David.(B) Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him and establishing Jerusalem,(C) because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.(D) The war begun between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued all the days of his life.(E) The rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? There was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.(F) Abijam slept with his ancestors, and they buried him in the city of David. Then his son Asa succeeded him.(G)

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Abijah’s Reign over Judah(A)

15 Abijah reigned over Judah starting in the eighteenth year of Nebat’s son Jeroboam’s reign. He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maacah, the daughter of Abishalom. He practiced the same sins that his father committed before he was born. Unlike his ancestor David, his heart never became devoted to the Lord his God. Nevertheless, for the sake of David, the Lord his God maintained a lamp for David[a] in Jerusalem by raising up his son after him so that Jerusalem would be established, because David had practiced what the Lord considered to be right. He never avoided anything that the Lord had commanded him during his entire lifetime, except for the case of Uriah the Hittite.

There was continual military conflict between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout his entire lifetime. The rest of Abijah’s accomplishments, including everything he undertook, are written in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, are they not? And a state of war continued to exist between Abijah and Jeroboam. Eventually, Abijah died, as did his ancestors, and he was buried in the City of David. His son Asa succeeded him as king.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 15:4 Lit. him